NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Commercial transport across Africa is undergoing a revolutionary change as solar-powered charging facilities specifically built for heavy electric trucks begin replacing traditional diesel-dependent logistics along major freight routes.
Zero Carbon Charge, known as Charge, is leading this transformation from its Cape Town headquarters. The company is following successful international examples like California’s WattEV and Milence, a collaborative project between German companies Daimler Truck and Volvo that have established solar-based charging networks for commercial freight operations.
The South African company is installing two completely independent, solar-powered charging facilities along the nation’s most heavily traveled freight and passenger route connecting Johannesburg with Durban. This expansion comes after a successful test that demonstrated complete charging of a heavy commercial electric vehicle using exclusively solar power.
This development along the N3 highway, spanning 570 kilometers (354 miles) and serving as a vital link between the nation’s financial center and primary shipping port, received support through a $6.2 million equity investment from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). The funding, revealed last July, required the company to construct independent charging infrastructure at 150-kilometer (90-mile) intervals along major national highways.
According to Charge, both facilities will reach completion by June, making long-distance electric vehicle transportation possible along one of South Africa’s most critical transport corridors.
Company co-founder Joubert Roux explained that upcoming plans will target the N1 route linking Johannesburg with Cape Town, expanding independent, high-speed charging capabilities throughout South Africa’s primary long-distance transportation networks.
Construction costs for each independent facility reach approximately $1.25 million.
“This investment allows us to move from pilot projects to full-scale rollouts,” Roux said. “We have proven that it’s possible to fully charge electric trucks using solar energy, and now we are building the infrastructure to do that commercially and reliably.”
In January, Charge demonstrated its ability to connect renewable energy with commercial transport by simultaneously powering two heavy-duty electric trucks from China’s SANY Trucks along with four passenger electric vehicles.
Other sustainable transport enterprises across Africa have primarily concentrated on electric motorcycles. Organizations including Kenya’s Spiro and Ampersand have incorporated renewable energy into portions of their battery-exchange systems, especially in areas outside metropolitan centers. However, these represent hybrid approaches rather than completely independent solar networks engineered for heavy commercial vehicles.
While South Africa’s electric vehicle imports continue growing, charging infrastructure remains restricted and primarily concentrated within major urban areas. Heavy commercial electric trucks encounter additional obstacles due to substantial energy demands and insufficient high-capacity charging locations, particularly as the national power company faces challenges meeting overall demand.
“Our approach is to build energy-resilient charging hubs that are not dependent on an unstable grid,” Roux said. “By combining solar and storage, we can provide predictable, clean power for fleets.”
Roux acknowledged that electric freight technology adoption continues facing multiple challenges, including regulatory approval delays for construction sites, elevated import taxes, vehicle certification processes, and restricted vehicle supply.
“Fleet operators are under pressure to decarbonize, but they need commercially viable solutions,” Roux said. “This investment helps us deploy infrastructure for logistics, mining and long-haul transport. We believe this model can reduce emissions while strengthening energy security.”
