South Africa’s car manufacturing industry can remain a key contributor to the economy if it pivots to electric as soon as possible.

The link between coal, gas and water pollution is clear, but the extraction and use of fossil fuels affect ecosystems in many less obvious ways as well.

To boost the uptake of electric vehicles in South Africa, we need measures to make going electric a more attractive option for motorists.

The main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2), produced by burning fossil fuels. South Africa is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases on the African continent.

South Africa suffers from crippling power outages, locally known as load shedding. In the first three months of 2021, load shedding occurred for 650 hours.