Vivo Energy Namibia, the distributor of Shell-branded fuels, has no immediate plans to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Namibia, citing limited market demand.
Managing Director Jaco van Rensburg said the company is monitoring global trends but noted that Namibia’s vast distances and the current low adoption of EVs present significant challenges.
“We’ve seen a trend where electric vehicles are growing. However, with the distances in this country, the technology is still lagging. That’s why, with the new Shell V-Power, we aim to improve fuel efficiency and keep engines clean, offering benefits to consumers in the meantime,” said van Rensburg to Namibia Mining & Energy.
Van Rensburg pointed out that while Shell operates EV charging stations in countries like the UK, Namibia’s EV market has yet to reach a critical mass to justify similar infrastructure investments.
“Currently, there are about 500 electric vehicles in Namibia compared to over 400,000 combustion engine vehicles. The consumer will dictate the trends, and we are keeping abreast of them,” he added.
Namibia has ambitious targets to transition to greener transportation, with a goal of converting 96,500 light vehicles to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2025, according to a recent study.
However, the reality on the ground presents a stark contrast, with approximately 100 EVs currently operational in the country.
“The target was initially set at 10,000 EVs by 2030, but it was later increased to 96,500 by 2025,” noted Sybrand de Waal, an electric vehicle enthusiast.
Van Rensburg acknowledged these goals but stressed the need for consumer demand to drive infrastructure development.
“We already have EV charging points in some markets. In Namibia, though, we don’t see the demand just yet,” he said.
He also highlighted the likelihood of alternative charging locations gaining traction, such as shopping malls, homes and workplaces.
“Consumers will likely charge their vehicles at places where they already spend time, rather than waiting for 30 minutes to an hour at a station,” he explained.
Vivo Energy, a Shell licensee, was established in 2011 to distribute and market Shell fuels and lubricants across Africa. While the company continues to monitor EV trends globally, it maintains that its strategy will depend on local market readiness.
This comes after Puma Energy Namibia earlier this year put on hold its plan to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country, citing low EV adoption and high vehicle costs.
M&Z Motors, a major player in the industry, has already launched a fast-charging station with a capacity of 60kW/h.
Together with partners such as Bank Windhoek, Puma Energy and Quantum Solar Company, M&Z plans to set up approximately five charging stations in Namibia between 2023 and 2024.
