Electric vehicle (EV) charging network operator GridCars is rolling out a R40-million programme to upgrade its national charging network.

CEO Winstone Jordaan says the project will modernise selected charging locations, introduce new-generation, fast-charging technology, as well as add some new charging locations to the GridCars network across South Africa.

“The programme builds on more than a decade of investment in South Africa’s public EV charging infrastructure and the development of the country’s largest public DC charging network.

“We will be doing some sort of refresh at more than 40 sites across South Africa.”

Some of the chargers to be revamped were installed during the earliest years of electric mobility in South Africa.

Jordaan describes the initiative as a proactive technology refresh intended to strengthen the company’s network, improve the charging experience and prepare GridCars’ infrastructure for the next decade of electric mobility.

At the centre of the refurbishment programme will be GridCars’ new-generation 120 kW dual connector DC fast charger, which will become the principal replacement platform at a number of established charging locations.

The new platform supports vehicle architectures ranging from 150 V to 1 000 V – substantially expanding compatibility beyond some earlier generation chargers designed at around 500 V technology, says Jordaan.

This new technology will enable the upgraded sites to support a broader range of passenger vehicles, electric delivery vehicles and, in some cases, emerging commercial vehicle platforms.

Each of these new chargers provides two CCS2 charging connectors and intelligently allocates the available power between the two charging positions.

This allows GridCars to make more effective use of the electrical capacity available at each site, while increasing the number of vehicles that can be accommodated, explains Jordaan.

The charger’s modular power architecture also allows individual power components to be serviced or replaced without the need to replace the complete charging system.

This should improve serviceability, reduce repair times and support a longer operating life for the equipment.

The charging platform also introduces a range of new energy management capabilities, says Jordaan.

He says the new 120 kW chargers provide IP55 and IK10 protection and that they support operation across a broad temperature range.

The platform also supports open charging protocols, remote monitoring, over-the-air software updates, intelligent power management and modern vehicle communication standards.

“GridCars configures and integrates its charging hardware with operating capabilities developed through years of managing public charging infrastructure in South Africa,” says Jordaan.

“These include secure offline authorisation, AutoCharge functionality, remote diagnostics, network monitoring and continued charging capability during certain communication interruptions.”

Jordaan says GridCars’ refurbishment programme will also improve the physical accessibility and configuration of selected charging sites.

This includes changes to better accommodate larger commercial vehicles, which may require longer bays, wider turning areas, improved cable reach and easier access to charging equipment.

Jordaan believes these improvements will support the growing electrification of delivery fleets, light commercial vehicles, buses and, over time, larger electric trucks.

In addition to upgrading existing locations, GridCars, together with its network development partners, will also deploy new chargers at additional sites, as part of the same programme.

These new locations should strengthen route coverage, increase charging capacity and improve connectivity between major economic centres and transport corridors, says Jordaan.

He says the refurbishment programme will be implemented in phases to minimise disruption to customers.

The project will be 90% complete by the end of next week.