Electrifying SA’s fleets, one route at a time

Everlectric CEO Ndia Magadagela writes that with the right charging strategy, real-world performance insights and a robust testing model, local operators can already start transitioning to electrification.

South Africa’s commercial electric vehicle (EV) transition will be won by practical economics, reliable charging infrastructure and real-world performance data. If a vehicle can complete the same route at the same service levels and spend less per kilometre, adoption tends to follow.

Fleet operators must start where savings are clear: when businesses model daily distances and stops, they find that many routes are already short enough for EVs to cut operating costs. The fixed nature of depot-to-store and last-mile delivery loops, for example, works in EVs’ favour.

Boardroom hesitation centres on three ubiquitous questions: “Is the vehicle affordable if it sits on my balance sheet?”, “Where will I charge and do I have enough range?” and “Will my operation keep pace on busy days?” When those questions are answered with evidence from the operator’s own data, the conversation shifts quickly to EV adoption.

EV-as-a-Service simplifies this process. By leasing vehicles, managing charging and connecting telematics, companies can test the full business case within their own networks before committing to long-term transitions.

The gap in commercial EV adoption between SA and Europe is narrowing, as fleets charge at depots on repeatable routes. Behind-the-fence charging reduces queue risk, removes tariff surprises and integrates with existing rooftop solar at many logistics sites. Public charging, when needed, should be invisible to the driver. Roaming agreements and back-end authentication turn a top-up into a routine instruction.

The simplest way to build confidence, though, is to test on the road, gathering data then running duty-cycle simulations to identify vehicles ready to electrify. This should be followed by a short proof-of-concept with temporary chargers and live telematics – managers can watch energy use, turnaround times and driver behaviour in their own environment.

After data validation, upscaling to many vehicles/routes is gradual, then sudden. Route-by-route, the proportion of work that clears the economic threshold increases as familiarity grows and more fit-for-purpose models enter the market.

Policy is beginning to support this trajectory: SA’s New Energy Vehicle framework introduces a 150% investment allowance for producers of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles from March 2026. While not a retail purchase incentive, localisation can lower acquisition costs over time and pull the total cost of ownership toward parity without subsidies. When vehicle prices move in the right direction, the economics on qualifying routes do the heavy lifting.

Signals of momentum are visible across the EV value chain. GreenCape’s 2024 Market Intelligence Report shows rising investment interest, from charging to services. Aggressively-priced Chinese models like the BYD Dolphin Surf  already offer competitive acquisition costs; this is a pivotal moment for fleet buyers managing mixed vehicle pools.

There is also a human layer to this transition. SA needs more high-voltage technicians, energy-aware planners and EV-literate curricula in technical colleges. We are cross-skilling, but industry and education must move together to capture the full employment and industrial benefits of new-energy vehicles.

For fleet operators, it’s a case of starting small, measuring what matters and scaling what pays. They must treat charging as operational infrastructure and build data confidence with telematics and route-level reporting. If the maths works and service levels are good, this is a logical step towards a more efficient fleet network.