TCS | Everlectric CEO Ndia Magadagela on Woolies' big EV push

Loading player...
JSE-listed retailer Woolworths is moving to replace its fleet of fossil fuel-burning logistics and delivery vehicles with fully electric alternatives.
To discuss the project, and more, Duncan McLeod is joined on the TechCentral Show (TCS) by Ndia Magadagela, co-founder and CEO of South African EV-as-a-service (EVaaS) start-up Everlectric.
Everlectric, through Woolworths’ logistics partner DSV, is deploying electric panel vans to help the retailer reduce its carbon emissions.
The new vans have a 300km range from fully charged and feature “live advanced telematics” that helps improve the efficiency of the vehicles – from managing the top speed (they are governed to 120km/h) to the maximum power output.
In this episode of TCS, Magadagela talks about the Woolworths project, and why she believes the EVaaS model is suited to the local market. She also talks about:
• Her and her co-founders’ backgrounds, and how Everlectric got its start.
• The proofs of concept that the company has run.
• The logistics behind managing in an EV fleet in a country plagued by load shedding – and why it nevertheless still makes sense.
• Learnings from the Woolworths project and how it fits into the retailer’s objective to reach “net zero” carbon emissions by 2040.
• How the internet of things helps Everlectric manage its fleet.
• Everlectric’s scale-up plans over the next three to five years.
It’s a fascinating interview … don’t miss it!
24 May 2023 English South Africa Technology · Business

Other recent episodes

TCS | Zimi Charge CEO Michael Maas on electrifying SA’s logistics fleets

South African logistics firm Bakers SA recently deployed the first electric trucks to its fleet of more than a thousand vehicles. Working with Stellenbosch-based EV charging and software company Zimi Charge, Bakers’ deployment points a potential future in South Africa in which planet-warming trucks are replaced with electric alternatives. Michael…
12 Feb 25 min

TCS | Deep impact: Dean Furman on the implications of China's DeepSeek

China’s DeepSeek rocked US technology stocks last month after the company appeared to have developed an artificial intelligence model akin to OpenAI’s most advanced ChatGPT models at a tiny fraction of the cost. Stocks like Nvidia, Google and Microsoft cratered on the news as it raised serious questions about whether…
7 Feb 48 min

TCS | We test drive South Africa’s cheapest electric car

Enviro Automotive has launched South Africa’s most affordable electric car yet, the Dayun S5 Mini SUV – and TechCentral has taken the vehicle for a test drive. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, we are joined by Environ Automotive executives Gideon Wolvaardt and Francois Malan to unpack the new…
4 Feb 34 min

TCS | 'Activist CEO' Adam Craker on iqbusiness, the GNU and fixing Joburg

Adam Craker has strong views on what’s needed to turn around South Africa’s fortunes and fix its biggest city, Johannesburg, which has fallen into a state of disrepair. The CEO of iqbusiness, a digital integrator in the Reunert stable formed recently though the merger of IQbusiness and +OneX, is our…
29 Jan 35 min

TCS+ | Shifting Microsoft Azure SQL into overdrive

Microsoft Azure SQL is a fully managed and scalable cloud database service – and its myriad benefits mean your company should be considering it if it isn’t already using it. To unpack this in more detail, Preegan Chetty, Microsoft Azure product manager at First Distribution, and Silicon Overdrive Microsoft business…
27 Jan 24 min