Africa to get locally made home chargers

From the newsletter

Infinity Capital, a renewable energy and electric vehicle charging infrastructure provider in Egypt, has partnered with Recharged, an innovative manufacturer specialising in EV charging solutions, to form a joint venture to focus on the local production and distribution of home EV chargers.

• Infinity Capital established Infinity EV in 2018 to provide charging solutions for EVs and has other tailored charging solutions for various sectors, including commercial, real estate, retail, and home charging.

• The company has since become the largest and fastest-growing EV charging network in Egypt. It has 190 charging stations and more than 640 charging points across 14 governorates.

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• The joint venture would leverage the strengths of each partner for mutual benefit. It will combine Infinity Capital's market leadership with Recharged's manufacturing expertise to provide high-quality, locally manufactured chargers.

• Infinity Capital has established partnerships with prominent companies like Masdar. Its shareholders include the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

• Africa is just beginning to participate in the electric vehicle sector and is still trying to understand the market. While most countries are partnering with established Chinese manufacturers, a few are attempting to manufacture EVs locally. Egypt, for example, aims to be a leader in manufacturing EV home chargers.

• However, the African EV market presents unique challenges, particularly regarding charging infrastructure. There is a lack of standardisation for EV chargers, as African countries often adopt the standards of the EVs they import, which vary depending on the region of origin. This has led to a fragmented charging landscape, with different regions relying on different standards. 

• For example, North America primarily uses CCS1 and Tesla connectors, while Europe favours CCS2. China is dominated by GB/T, with growing CCS2 adoption, and Japan mainly uses CHAdeMO, although CCS is gaining traction.

• This lack of standardisation could hinder the growth of the EV market in Africa. A unified charging standard would simplify things for consumers, encourage investment in charging infrastructure, and promote the adoption of EVs across the continent.

• Egypt's pursuit of developing its own EV charging solutions is a strategic move. By establishing local manufacturing capabilities, it can exert greater control over the standards of its charging infrastructure, potentially paving the way for a more unified approach across the country. 

Our take

• EV adoption is slowly picking up in Africa, but the lack of widespread charging infrastructure is a major roadblock. People are hesitant to buy EVs if they're unsure they can reliably charge them, and companies are hesitant to invest in charging infrastructure if there aren't enough EVs on the road to use it.

• A simplified charging system that works seamlessly at home could be a game-changer. The increasing range of EV batteries is already boosting consumer confidence, as it reduces the need for frequent recharging. With convenient home charging, drivers can confidently travel long-distance journeys without worrying about finding charging stations along their route.

• However, local manufacturing of EV chargers will be ineffective if these chargers cannot compete with similar products in the market. Affordability is key. Governments need to incentivise the sector by providing subsidies or by imposing higher taxes on imported home chargers. This will help to create a level playing field and encourage the adoption of locally produced EV charging solutions.