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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor
Zimbabwe has what it takes to be a hub for electric vehicle battery production and electric car charging stations given the vast deposits of lithium the country has.
Munashe Nyandebvu, a 24-year-old University of Zimbabwe electrical and electronic engineering final year student, who designed a car charging station prototype, believes strongly that the country has the capacity to meet the growing demand for e-mobility given its lithium resources.
“Zimbabwe has the largest lithium reserve in Africa and the sixth largest lithium reserve in the world. Our country has the highest number of lithium projects under exploration on the African continent and I have a dream for Zimbabwe to become a big player in the production of electric vehicle batteries and more important car charging stations,” he said.
“I have designed this car charging station to show that we have the brains and the capacity to become a hub for the production of electric vehicle components and infrastructure.”
Munashe showcased his design at the recent UZ Research Innovation and Industrialisation Week event which was held under the theme: “Nurturing a new generation of industries and entrepreneurs towards Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030.”
This annual event aims to showcase various innovations, products, goods and services generated at the UZ’s research, innovation and industrialisation platforms.
“I feel proud to have developed such a prototype. This design gives a true sense of purpose because the prototype has real world application with economic potential. Its locally produced and if commercialised this car charging station can create jobs for youth and women,” Munashe said.
“Zimbabwe has great potential to become a hub of electric vehicles and all the associated technology. I have heeded the calls for industrialisation as promoted under the heritage-based Education 5.0. Uptake of EVs (electric vehicles) can only come to fruition if there is supporting infrastructure such as these charging stations.”
In some parts of Africa and elsewhere, the electric vehicle industry is under rapid development and the fleet of chargeable cars is growing fast.
As a result, a high demand for public chargers has emerged. The expansion of the electric vehicle fleet and charging infrastructure has not matched this growth. It remains highly strained leading to low uptake of electric vehicles.
The charging of electric vehicles is still slow and prospective buyers remain hesitant. Motorists here in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa are still accustomed to filling their fuel tank in less than five minutes, EVs, depending on the size and specifications of the battery, typically take at least 30 minutes to get 80 percent charged at the fastest charging stations out there.
Munashe hopes to develop a faster charging station that could easily promote greater use of electric vehicles.
The sole purpose of this design is to incentivise the uptake of EVs by providing visible charging infrastructure equivalent to the petrol/diesel re-fuelling stations we see everyday,” he said.
“I hope to mass produce these charging stations locally through a start – up company. Firstly, we will target to satisfy the local market demand before expanding into the region. The target is to develop a prototype on which faster charging might be possible.”
Zimbabwe, through the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED), bought 18 electric vehicles from a Chinese company as the country explores ways to promote the use of smart energy as the world gradually shifts from petroleum-fuelled vehicles.
Government says the provision of urban commuter services using electric buses which are cheaper to run compared to conventional vehicles could bring relief to urban commuters who will benefit from lower fares.
Munashe has designed the prototype which utilises power electronics engineering to condition power from either a solar or grid source. The energy is fed into the battery pack of an electric vehicle to recharge it.
Plans are afoot to test his prototype on electric vehicles.
“My prototype is still under development, with an output of 10kw. I am now working to improve the design to make it a fast charger with a potential of at least 200kw,” the UZ electrical and electronic engineering student said.
“Small as it may be now, we have the potential to develop it further and chart the path towards batteries that can recharge fully in as little as 20 minutes or less.”
Feasibility of the adoption of EVs (electric vehicles), he said, hinges greatly on supporting infrastructure and utilities such as charging stations and plug-in chargers.
Additionally, these chargers need to be implemented in volumes to meet the demand of EV users, he said.
There are still science and engineering challenges to overcome before ultra fast-charging EV batteries are both technically feasible and affordable.
Electronic engineering experts say exactly how fast a battery will recharge in the real world depends not only on the charger or how many kilowatts of power the battery was designed to accept, but the battery’s size, how charged it is, and even the weather.
At present, in some countries, state-of-the art fast charging stations can often get an EV battery 80 percent full, potentially adding hundreds of miles of range, in about 30 minutes.
Once a battery is 80 percent full, the charging speed slows down to prevent the battery from being damaged.
Zimbabwe is gearing up to be an important player in the mining of mineral resources for electric vehicle batteries and the country is expected to become one of the world’s largest exporters of lithium.
The country is looking at alternative energy sources for transport to stave off the growing burden of fuel dependency and subsidies, as well as an electricity storage solution to leverage the abundant lithium resources.
Zimbabwe has developed the Climate Change Policy, the Energy Renewable Policy, and National Climate Change Response Strategy to enhance climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Munashe’s innovation is a small but critical step for the build-out of monumental infrastructure required for the mass EV adoption in the country.
It cast a bright light on the country’s hopes to develop public charging access that is equitably distributed to support all drivers — especially in areas where residents use on-street parking and on highways.
In addition, it is one of many instruments that could enable Zimbabwe to meet some of its climate change obligations such as the Paris Agreement, developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The installation of electric car charging stations is gaining momentum in Africa as investors look to exploit what will develop into a multimillion-dollar market opportunity driven by a growing demand for e-mobility.
Already, e-mobility is developing in South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe including most other African countries.
As Zimbabwe holds some of the world’s biggest hard — rock lithium deposits that has so far attracted nearly US$1 billion in investment from several Chinese firms, including CanMax, which also bought a 13,38 percent stake in Premier last year, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt (603799.SS), Sinomine Resource Group (002738.SZ) and Chengxin Lithium Group (002240.SZ), prospects are bright for development of the electric vehicle industry.
Innovations by locals could be a game changer in all this.
Online Reporter