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The Electric Vehicle Road Trip from Hell: Day 2 – Jansenville’s Dirty Secret
We thought we’d seen it all, but it seems the trouble-free ride was just an illusion. Day two of our electric vehicle road trip took a dark turn in Jansenville, where a GridCars-owned fast charger refused to cooperate with the BYD Seal. Yes, you read that right – a modern, supposedly cutting-edge charging station, unceremoniously abandoned its duties, leaving us to wonder if we’ve been misled by the whole electric revolution hype.
After a leisurely breakfast in Graaff-Reinet, we set off for Jansenville, the next stop on our route to Cape Town. With the Volvo XC40, BMW iX50, Mercedes-Benz EQE 350, VW ID.4, and BYD Seal in tow, we expected a straightforward drive to the DC fast charger in town. But, as we pulled in, the BYD Seal was met with a surprise: the charging station refused to budge. In a bizarre, frustrating scene, our team spent two hours in the blistering sun, scrambling to resolve the issue, only to be told the BYD Seal would be left behind to charge at a snail’s pace via a 1.6kW 220V outlet.
The scene was reminiscent of the Wild West, with our team trying to lasso the unruly charging station into submission. It was as if the old, outdated charging technology was at war with the new, innovative EVs. The public, we suspect, will not be amused by this turf war. As we left, we couldn’t help but wonder: what other "refuseniks" lie in wait for us on the road to Cape Town?
We later learned that Jansenville’s fast charger was built in 2018, a lifetime ago in EV terms, and that’s our best guess as to why it faltered under the BYD Seal’s advanced demands. But, we can’t help but think: what’s the point of all these fast chargers if they can’t keep up with the pace? Our resident expert, Greg Cress, Africa principal director of automotive and e-mobility at Accenture, summed it up: "We need regulation to ensure compatibility testing is done. To scale this (electric motoring) from a hobby or project to a national proposition, it needs that sort of regulation."
The incident was a harsh reminder of the patchy, developing infrastructure that plagues our electric journey. As we settled in for the night, we couldn’t help but ponder: what other surprises lay in store for us? The road ahead was dotted with uncertainty and misadventure. Would we ever reach our destination? Only time, and the gods of charging technology, would tell.
The Pen is Mightier than the Sword: The Battle for Electric Vehicle Adoption
In our next installment, we’ll regale you with the thrilling tale of our Electric Vehicle Road Trip, Day 3, as we navigate the treacherous, 150kW fast charger at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, and put our electric steeds through their paces on a local racetrack. Stay tuned!
