Solar-powered recharging for electric vehicles

THE first of many solar powered recharging stations in Namibia was introduced recently at the M+Z Mercedes Benz dealership in Windhoek.
The solar panels serve dual purposes, as a power charge and the panels serve as a shade for motorists to park under while charging.

The joint venture between M+Z Motors and Quantum Solar Investments was designed to charge both the Mercedes EQ (Mercedes Electric Intelligence) vehicles, as well as all other brands currently running on Namibian roads.
Managing director of M+Z Ekko Eisenberg said the servicing of the whole country will begin with the route to the coast, starting at Usakos.

Most electric vehicles (EVs) have a range of approximately 400 kilometres, depending on driving speeds, and with the roll-out programme there should be sufficient charging stations to ensure owners can reach their destinations across Namibia, Eisenberg said.
For electric lorries, which are relatively new in the transport industry in the southern African region, the Zambezi region is earmarked, with cross border transport to countries like Zambia.

“To make it 100% clear, it doesn’t matter what car you drive – be it BMW, Mercedes, Kia, Hyundai, Toyota … whatever EV you drive – chargeable or hybrid, you will be able to charge it at our charging station,” Eisenberg said.
Installed outside M+Z in Julius Nyerere Street, the station is accessible for EV owners to charge their cars.

One of the most burning questions raised is how long it takes to charge an EV and is it worth the investment to buy an EV?
Top Revs learnt, through various sources, that almost all of the new EV models can reach a distance of 250 kilometres (depending on model variants) with about 30 minutes of charging, while Nissan Leaf owner Sybrand de Waal said he calculated a saving of N$40 000 over a year on fuel across typical travel distances.

The charging station will be equipped with the first unattended point of sale (POS) system through Bank Windhoek to enable owners to pay via debit or credit card to recharge their vehicles.
Unlike conventional petrol pumps where motorists indicate the amount of fuel they want to buy, the charging station will indicate how much charging is needed, the cost, as well as the time needed to charge the car.

Should an owner pay the required amount via the POS or any other platform like Pay Today and want to end the transaction or partially buy an amount, the system will credit the balance to his account.

Top Revs witnessed the charging process last week and although the technology is advanced, the process is simple.
Once parked and the charger is connected to the vehicle, called “hand shaking”, and all the information needed in terms of cost, time and even the status of the battery is displayed to enable the owner to make an informed decision.

The process is safe, and once the charger is plugged into the vehicle it cannot be disconnected until it indicates that it is safe to do so, through the use of a release button, before being unplugged and the nozzle safely returned to the charger.

Mark van Schalkwyk from Quantum Solar Investments said the station is unique because it is fully renewable and can charge the super cap cells (batteries) that feed directly into the EV, and if the batteries are depleted, the station can charge directly from the solar panels.
In case there are no cars on the charger, the power can be ‘sold’ back to whichever building it is attached to, said Van Schalkwyk.

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