The event will take place alongside the Cape Town E-Prix, which marks the first time a sub-Saharan African city is hosting a round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The inaugural all-electric race will be held in Cape Town on 25 February 2023.
During E-Fest Electric, AutoTrader will also launch the first-ever Hybrid Buyers Survey, which reveals insights into the sentiment, reality and expectations of South African in-market car shoppers of hybrid vehicles. This will happen on 24 February 2023.
AutoTrader’s decision to be a partner at the event marks yet another collaboration with the Vuka Group, who organise the Electric Vehicle Road Trip Africa and Smarter Mobility Africa Summit, and who are organising E-Fest Electric. It is also a clear sign that AutoTrader is continuing to invest in the future of South African mobility, as George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO, confirms: “As a pioneer and driver of change, we want to reimagine the future of the automotive industry – together with key industry players. We want to inspire South Africans to consider and enact new forms of mobility today,” he enthuses.
AutoTrader will be actively involved in E-Fest Electric through additional activity in and around the event which is being positioned as Africa’s leading EV festival, taking place alongside the Cape Town E-Prix.
E-Fest Electric visitors will be able to experience the latest and greatest bicycles, scooters, boats, cars, vans, buses, minibus taxis, home power generation, storage, energy efficiency…and more. It will offer a host of attractions, including EV test drives in which anyone with a valid drivers license can experience an electric vehicle first-hand behind the drivers seat, a special commercial vehicle zone (for businesses and government fleets wanting to go green).
Ben Pullen, chairman of Smarter Mobility Africa and the Vuka Group, says he is delighted to be partnering with AutoTrader once again at these ground-breaking initiatives. “AutoTrader is a fantastic partner for E-Fest Electric due to their role in leading the automotive industry towards a more electric future. Through their industry relationships as well as their South African consumer audience of in-market car buyers, we're excited to bring to life the Test Drive experiences for Racegoers at E-Fest Electric. Education and experience is a key element of increasing electric vehicle demand and adoption in South Africa, and AutoTrader are a vital force in achieving this.,” he concludes.
South Africa is the 12th highest carbon emitter in the world, and the highest in Africa. Over 90% of transport emissions are caused by road transport. We need to accelerate our transition to electric vehicles, and become agents for positive change in the country's economy. The E-fest is about creating that awareness and opportunity for all South Africans to join this movement and what a better way to do this than have Africa’s Green Economy Summit and E-Fest Electric staged prior to and alongside the ePrix Cape Town.
