BMW, Nissan team up on plan to develop SA grid for electric vehicles

BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) and Nissan South Africa (NSA) has signed a memorandum of agreement that will see the two vehicle manufacturers jointly plan and build a national grid of electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) vehicle charging stations for use by both Nissan and BMW vehicles. “Our introduction of the 100% electric Nissan LEAF in 2013 [in South Africa] was part of Nissan’s global drive to advance sustainable mobility and to grow the market for zero-emission vehicles. With this in mind we believe our partnership with BMW SA is a sound investment to create a future-proof automobile industry,” says NSA MD Mike Whitfield. BMW SA introduced its EV and PHEV models, the BMW i3 and the BMW i8, to the local market in March this year.