For South Africa as a whole, three quarters of its vehicle production is exported.
At the same time, South Africa's policy paper on EVs is two years behind schedule.
"The train (EV shift) is a global one, and it's leaving the station.
If South Africa doesn't jump onto the train, it runs the risk of being left behind," Mark Raine, co-CEO Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa, told Reuters in an interview.
Specifically, South Africa will need to boost local demand by cutting the import tax for EVs, setting up large-scale EV charging stations and investing in skills needed for the new ecosystem that EVs bring, he said.
Persons:
it's, Mark Raine, Mercedes, Raine, Promit Mukherjee, Barbara Lewis
Organizations:
Mercedes Benz Group AG, Mercedes, Benz, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Africa, Europe