The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) is this week participating in the e-Mobility Summit, organised by uYilo, as part of Transport Month.

The national uYilo e-Mobility Programme was established in 2013 as an initiative of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) to enable, facilitate and mobilise electric mobility in South Africa.

The platform was created to give electric vehicle experts and industry leaders an opportunity to share valuable information about electric vehicle (EV)-related innovations and initiatives.

The summit, which takes place from 29 – 31 October 2024, will feature industry and government speakers, panel discussions, and an exhibition of the latest electric vehicles.

Hosted by the Nelson Mandela University, the programme seeks to prepare South Africa for the introduction of electric mobility technologies.

This, as the sales of electric vehicles rises.

According to the department, the rise of EVs puts batteries at centre stage, with multiple technologies, each wi
th its advantages and shortcomings, competing in a market currently dominated by lithium-ion batteries.

So far this year, according to the department, 17 million EVs have been sold – more than one in five cars sold worldwide.

South Africa has committed to developing a value chain for lithium-ion batteries to feed mainly into the automotive and energy storage sectors.

The DSTI established the Energy Storage Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) initiative, a consortium working on developing the value chain.

‘This includes RDI for mining, beneficiation and precursor materials, cell and battery manufacturing, testing and validation, and recycling, as well as developing products for commercialisation,’ the department said.

The consortium includes key players such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Universities of the Western Cape, Limpopo and the Witwatersrand, the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, Nelson Mandela University and Mintek.

The word uYilo is derived from the
local Xhosa language, which means ‘to create’, along with the motive of creating this new industry in South Africa.

The theme of the second three-day summit is, ‘Enhancing the e-Mobility Value Chain for Sustainable Development in South Africa’.

Source: South African Government News Agency