Earlier this month, South Africa motorists were hit with another fuel price hike as petrol increased to R28.06 per litre inland. This is a record high, driven by disruption in global oil markets and a rand that offers little cushion against the cost of imported fuel. Just three months earlier, in February 2026, the same litre cost R19,99. A R6,64 increase in a single quarter is the kind of number that makes people think differently about how they move.
Against this backdrop, initiatives that reduce dependence on traditional fuel sources are attracting increased attention from both consumers and businesses looking for greater cost certainty in an increasingly volatile market.
WesBank joins the industry in congratulating Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) on the launch of South Africa’s second and third off-grid, solar-powered EV charging networks along the Johannesburg–Durban N3 corridor. For consumers watching the pump price climb, the timing is significant.
The launch comes at a moment when the economics of mobility are shifting rapidly. As fuel costs place increasing pressure on household budgets and fleet operating expenses, infrastructure developments that support alternative forms of transport are moving from future-focused ambitions to practical business and consumer considerations.
To mark the occasion, WesBank participated in a convoy along the N3 to the Reitz Interchange launch site. Three Geely electric vehicles made the trip, the all-electric E2, the all-electric E5, and the E5 EM-I plug-in hybrid, covering 198km and arriving with 18% battery remaining. The real-world cost: approximately R1,31 per kilometre utilising public charging infrastructure, this number reduces if charging took place at home and would reduce further if home solar was utilised to charge. A comparable petrol vehicle consuming around nine litres per 100km would have cost approximately R2,40 per kilometre at current fuel prices. Even at February’s recent low of R19,99 per litre, the equivalent ICE journey would have come to approximately R1,80 per kilometre. The electric vehicle does not notice the fuel price. That gap only widens as prices rise.
Charging at the CHARGE station took approximately 25 to 30 minutes from 20% to 80%, enough time to stop, rest, and continue. The stations operate entirely off-grid via solar-powered microgrids, meaning the energy cost is insulated from the same global volatility driving the pump price higher each month.
“This launch is an important milestone for fleet operators and everyday South African drivers alike,” says Linda Musonda, Product Head: FNB Commercial Lend Pillar. “The question of whether electric vehicles make financial sense is no longer theoretical. Our convoy covered 198km at R1,31 per kilometre. At current petrol prices, that saving is substantial and it will only grow if fuel price volatility continues on its current trajectory.”
South Africans are paying attention. EV-related searches increased by 45% year-on-year between February and March 2026, with consumer engagement rising by more than 200% over the same period. March 2026 recorded the highest monthly EV sales in South Africa’s history, driven in part by more accessible models entering the market at price points that were, until recently, the exclusive territory of premium vehicles.
“South Africa’s mobility transition is not only about technology, but about building resilience and embedding sustainability into the core of our transport ecosystem in a sustainable way,” notes Kival Singh, Head of Sustainability & ESG Solutions at FNB. By supporting infrastructure that’s powered entirely by renewable energy, we are helping to reduce systemic risks for businesses and households, while enabling customers to make more sustainable mobility choices with confidence. This includes helping them lower their carbon footprint, manage energy-related costs, and transition to cleaner transport solutions in a way that is both practical and accessible.”
The Geely E2, one of the vehicles in the N3 convoy, retails for R339 900, is currently the most affordable electric vehicle on sale in South Africa, priced below many comparable petrol alternatives in its class. Through Geely Finance Powered by WesBank, the E2 is available from R3 999 per month on a Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) plan, excluding the monthly service fee. Every Geely Finance customer also receives a R7 500 charge voucher and a complimentary home wallbox charger. The barriers to electric ownership are coming down.
“Affordability has always been the conversation stopper when it comes to NEVs,” says Musonda. “The E2 changes that. When you can finance South Africa’s most affordable electric vehicle from R3 999 per month with a charging voucher and a home charger included and drive it at a fraction of the cost of a petrol equivalent at today’s prices, the numbers start to speak for themselves.”
Fuel costs represent one of the most visible and recurring drains on consumer budgets, and as more accessible electric vehicle models enter the South African market, the cost-per-kilometre comparison is becoming a consideration for private buyers alongside fleet operators. For consumers already navigating constrained household finances, the daily arithmetic is increasingly hard to ignore.
“The consumer dimension is critical,” adds Singh. “As more affordable NEV models enter the market, households will begin to see the same cost-per-kilometre advantages that fleets are now testing in real-world conditions. For families balancing tight budgets, the ability to reduce transport costs through electrification could be transformative.”
There is a tendency, in conversations about this country’s future, to default to caution. The N3 corridor launch offers a useful corrective. Delivered in under five months, powered entirely by renewable energy, and backed by significant development finance, the CHARGE network represents exactly the kind of infrastructure that positions South Africa not as a bystander in the global clean mobility transition, but as a continental leader in it.
