“South Africa has to transition to EV assembly and bring prices down,” says George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader, who will present the results of this year’s Electric Vehicle Car Buyers Survey on the opening day of the upcoming Smarter Mobility Africa summit on Tuesday, 5 October. The results will provide insights into car buyers’ perceptions of and preferences around electric vehicles.

Smart Mobility Africa, powered by Alstom, will feature more than 50 speakers, including the live opening session on Tuesday featuring the keynote address by Gauteng’s premier, Mr David Makhura, as well as the province’s MEC for Public and Roads Infrastructure, Mr Jacob Mamabolo. The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport is the Host Partner for the third year running.

The event brings together thought leaders from business and government who aim to consolidate efforts to transition to electric and smarter mobility and shines a light on solutions to stimulate the future of mobility, from walking and cycling, public transport, electric vehicles and mobility as a service.

Understanding consumers is vital
Ben Pullen is the chairman of Smarter Mobility Africa: “Understanding consumers’ perceptions towards electric vehicles is vital to ascertain what the local market can expect over the next couple of years, and to provide real data valuable to be able to adapt policies and business strategies to ensure that we’re making it easier for consumers to transition to electric vehicles. In order to understand the consumer, we have been working with AutoTrader for the second year running to tap into the most active car buyers in the country.”

“The results in this year’s survey spotlighted that consumers are very much waiting for the industry to move the dial,” reports AutoTrader’s George Mienie. “It was clear that many consumers are interested and willing to purchase an EV; however, there is still one big barrier to entry, which will be discussed after we reveal the latest results.”

The data for the Electric Vehicle Car Buyers Survey was obtained via an online survey on AutoTrader’s website that is exposed to over 10-million visits, generating thousands of responses.

Startups making mobility smarter in Africa
Another feature at Smarter Mobility Africa this year is the Startup Programme, which is supported by Arigo Investments Africa and Agilitee. Mobility startups from across Africa will showcase their ideas and solutions at the three-day summit, demonstrating the problem solving being done on the ground to increase walking and cycling, mobility as a service, electrification of transport, and higher adoption and integration of public transport. As of today African based startups can apply to access a complimentary virtual booth and a place to pitch on the main stage.

Programme highlights
This year’s Smarter Mobility Africa takes a deep-dive into achieving and maintaining strong collaboration in the transport sector. To be at the forefront of change and in alignment with the Global Sustainable Development Goals, Africa must work as a collective to transition to cleaner, affordable, and more accessible mobility for all. In doing this it will lead to a much needed reduction in carbon emissions.

More programme highlights include:

Electric vehicle standardization: Building long-lasting and rewarding relationships between government and the private sector
Chicken and egg: What needs to come first, charging stations or electric vehicles?
Case study: How can vulnerable groups have equal access and safety to public facilities through architectural design and city planning?
Global Electric Vehicle Outlook by BloombergNEF
The role of rail: How can rail stimulate urban development and create better road safety?
Startup Programme: Pitches from Africa’s latest and greatest mobility startups
Case Study: How I became the CEO of an electric vehicle company in China
How far can we electrify our buses and minibus taxis in Africa? What is the timeline?
How cycling can become the base load for mobility in African cities
How do we integrate walking into urban transport and infrastructure development planning?

The full programme from 5–7 October can be viewed here!

Industry support
Event partners for this year’s edition include AEMDA, Agilitee, Alstom, Arigo, AutoTrader, Gauteng Provincial Department of Roads and Transport, DTIC and SANRAL.

Smarter Mobility Africa is organised by The Vuka Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa) and aims to inspire and transform mobility across the continent. Despite the challenges experienced during the pandemic, the gathering will once again take an unconventional journey by delivering a first-class, highly sought-after hybrid event that includes conversations around walking and cycling, public transport, electric vehicles and mobility as a service.