BMW South Africa sales and marketing director Antonio Antela Martinez has reiterated plans to launch the i3 electric vehicle and the i8 hybrid car in South Africa in March or April 2015, while also announcing that the automotive manufacturer has partnered with global energy management company Schneider Electric on the charging technology for the i3.

The supply of the BMW i Wallbox Pure home charging unit for the i3 was announced at Schneider Electric’s Xperience Efficiency event, in Johannesburg.

“We are a strong believer in mobility and, in the future, we will probably use more electric cars. Schneider has a world partnership with BMW to equip the cars with electric infrastructure,” Schneider Electric Southern Africa country president Eric Leger said, explaining that Schneider would supply the charging units in partnership with other developers.

However, Martinez noted that Schneider would be BMW’s exclusive partner for the installation of the wall boxes in South Africa.

“We see the professional installation of the wall box for charging the i3 as one of the key factors for the successful marketing of these electric vehicles.

“So we are delighted to have Schneider on board to help implement the technology in this regard,” he added.

The BMW i3 electric car featured a passenger cell made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic and BMW eDrive technology that enabled it to be driven on electric power alone with a range of 130 km to 160 km.

The i3 was able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds, and weighed less than 1 200 kg.

Martinez noted that this vehicle was lighter than most compact vehicles, yet it offered significantly more space.

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC BUSINESS
Meanwhile, at the Xperience Efficiency event, Schneider also emphasised its intention to expand its footprint on the African continent.

Leger said Africa required a lot of energy infrastructure and that Schneider had the required solutions to support these plans.

“From South Africa, we want to take responsibility for the entire continent. The biggest part of our attention at the moment is on Southern Africa,” he noted, stating that Schneider was targeting the establishment of a presence in Angola, Zambia and Mozambique by the end of this year.

Schneider had already made inroads into Angola where it recently opened a new office.