A South African solar executive found that charging his electric SUV cost just 85 rand ($5.19) using home solar and household electricity, compared to R550 ($33.56) for an efficient petrol vehicle to cover the same distance.
His testing was done over 400 kilometers (249 miles).
Here's what to know
Patrick Narbel, GoSolr's co-founder and technology chief, shared his experience in the company's quarterly Light Paper, The National reported.
According to his calculations, charging entirely from the grid cost R280 ($17.09), making his combination of solar and household electricity about 70% cheaper.
After driving 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles), the vehicle's energy consumption averaged 13.3 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers (21.4 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles), per The National. Narbel's vehicle is a mid-size electric SUV with a battery rated at 68 kilowatt-hours.
He expects solar to supply about 70% of his charging needs annually. That share falls to roughly 60% in winter but could approach 100% in summer with careful planning.
Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy and make an EV even more cost-effective. Solar leases can also deliver hundreds of dollars in monthly savings without any upfront costs. Homeowners can use EasyHome's free explorer tool to see potential savings from vetted installers in their areas.
More background
For South Africans with an electric vehicle, finding consistent charging locations remains an obstacle.
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GoSolr's paper noted there were about 650 public charging points in the country at 445 locations, compared with around 4,600 service stations, The National reported. About 78% of those charging points are in two provinces, the Western Cape and Gauteng.
Public charging generally costs R5 to R8.50 ($0.31 to $0.52) per kilowatt-hour. Narbel found fast charging convenient, though an occupied charger could mean a wait at a site with only one charger.
Still, on a trip through the Karoo, he changed his route to charge only once.
Beyond charging access, purchase prices present another hurdle. According to figures supplied by GoSolr, the import duty is 25% for electric vehicles versus 18% for petrol cars, per The National.
What can be done?
Narbel's home setup combines a 12-kilowatt hybrid inverter, 15 kilowatt-hours of battery storage, and solar panels with just over 8 kilowatts of capacity.
Because he often arrives home after peak sunshine, Narbel uses household battery power in the evening and does more vehicle charging on weekends, when the SUV is parked at home.
Charging port access and import duties also present key factors in the decision to switch to an EV. As South Africa becomes better equipped, the questions of added upfront costs and charging logistics may begin to favor the EV market.
"I did not switch to an electric vehicle to make a statement. I did it because I care about clean energy," Narbel said, per The National.
EasyHome can also help homeowners explore their options for backup battery storage alongside solar. Pairing solar with a battery allows homeowners to maximize savings and power their homes with solar when the grid goes down.
"Charging took some experimentation; the house needed a few upgrades, and long trips ask for a little more planning than petrol," Narbel said. "But once those pieces were in place, it became unremarkable. The car is no longer a project. It is another appliance in the home, one that increasingly runs on sunshine rather than fuel."
Where can I learn more?
Narbel's experience shows how much charging costs matter when comparing an EV with a petrol car.
• Gas would need to reach $1.14 a gallon to rival home EV charging.
• A Toronto Model Y owner paid $351 annually for charging versus $3,274 for gas.
• European EVs are 33% cheaper to run with gasoline near $9 a gallon.
• A U.K. driver compared Gridserve's 92p charging rate with petrol costs to assess value.
• A Tesla owner drove 1,857 miles for $136, saving $235 compared with gasoline.
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