Puma Energy plans to partner with car dealerships in Namibia to provide electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the country.
Puma chief executive Adele Samuelson told The Brief that the company expects to have at least two stations with electric vehicle charging points installed by October.
“The goal for now is the South Africa-Noordwire-Windhoek-Swakopmund line. Watch space over the next few years and more charging stations will be visible across the country,” she said.
“We are dealing with energy suppliers who are now faced with the dilemma of how to operate vehicles without a functioning charging system.
Therefore, this is disadvantageous for the import of electric vehicles, hence the need for cooperation and the provision of services for this specific need”.
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Samuelson explained that Puma is trying to test the system and it has been shown to take 20-25 minutes to load quickly.
“So our plan is to improve our retail services by offering a better shopping experience, shade nets and standard car washes. When you’re done exploring and relaxing, that would add up to the shipping deadline.”
Meanwhile, studies show that the slowest Tier 1 device that charges from a typical 120 volt AC outlet (120V) takes on average about 40 to 50 hours to charge a dead electric vehicle (BEV) battery and 5 to 6 hours to charge a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) from empty.
“Tier 2 gear allows charging above 240V and can charge an empty BEV in 4-10 hours and an empty PHEV in 1-2 hours. While the fastest direct current fast charging (DCFC) can charge a BEV to 80 percent in just 20 minutes to an hour.”
When fully charged, the average range is 400 km (250 miles) to 800 km (500 miles).
Before implementing the project, Samuelson said the energy company is still investigating the payment method that will be used, including the billing system.
“The Bank of Namibia and the banks are being consulted to advise us on completing the payment,” she said.
Puma is driving its green initiative and has already heated 25 retail stations, warehouses and terminals in Namibia with a total capacity of 781 kW and annual electricity generation of 1,337 MWh. It is estimated that this will reduce carbon emissions by 1,044 annually, according to Samuelson.
