Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly adopted in South African cities as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. However, the integration of EV charging infrastructure into urban environments is not uniform, leading to varying levels of adoption and energy efficiency. Data from three major metropolitan areas were collected through a structured survey, including information about current EVCF availability, usage patterns, and associated energy savings. A logistic regression model was employed to analyse the probability of EVCF installation based on city characteristics. The analysis revealed that cities with higher income levels and more stringent environmental regulations had significantly higher probabilities of installing EVCF (OR = 1.5, p < 0.05). Additionally, there is a notable trend towards greater energy savings in areas where EVCF are available, though specific savings figures were not quantified due to limited data. While the study provides insights into the adoption of EVCF and their potential for enhancing urban sustainability, further empirical research is needed to validate these findings and explore more detailed metrics of energy efficiency. Urban planners should prioritise areas with higher installation probabilities of EVCF by implementing targeted policies that incentivize both public and private sector investments in charging infrastructure. Future studies could focus on the specific energy savings achieved through comprehensive data collection methods. Electric Vehicles, Charging Infrastructure Adoption, Energy Efficiency, South Africa
Mdluli et al. (Fri,) studied this question.