THE first Electric Vehicle Road Trip (EVRT) in Africa has raised awareness around smarter mobility and inspiring the public and other stakeholders to join this revolution.

This is according to organisers of the just-concluded momentous trip, which has been described as a resounding success.

Driven by Generation.e, the EVRT Africa, powered by ACDC Dynamics and in partnership with the Department of Transport and Government of Gauteng, proved it was possible to drive fully electric vehicles the length of the country.

Ben Pullen, Generation.e Chief Executive Officer, said following the inaugural road trip, the next step was to maintain the momentum of the smarter mobility revolution.

“We have learnt that more partnerships are vital, that funding is desperately needed to turn innovation into a viable industry and that the tax environment needs to become more conducive,” Pullen said.

Fikile Mbalula, the Minister of Transport, reiterated the need for funds to be mobilised to support green transport.

He said it was vital that transport investments were appropriately screened according to specific sustainability criteria to ensure that sufficient resources were channelled towards low carbon, green transport.

“This would ensure that adequate funding is made available for green transport technologies, capacity building, operations and infrastructure,” Mbalula added.

The three vehicle brands that took part in the EVRT Africa – BMW, Jaguar and Nissan – are also continuing to drive the conversation forward.

The United Nations Environmental Programme joined Generation.e on the road trip to raise awareness around the possibilities of electric mobility in fighting and beating air pollution.