NAACAM welcomes the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (the dtic) release of the Electric Vehicle (EV) White Paper. The first phase of the EV roadmap will focus on developing the productive capacity of the domestic industry to support the EV transition. In this regard, Minister Patel outlined key actions to be undertaken to support this approach at a media briefing this morning. This includes:
- Increasing the levels of investment and funding to catalyse EV investment in automotive assembly and component manufacturing.
- Facilitating and developing an electric battery regional value chain
- Temporarily reducing import duties for batteries in vehicles produced and sold in the domestic market.
- Securing or maintaining duty-free market access for vehicles and components produced in SA.
- Leveraging R&D tax incentives to deepen domestic value addition.
- Commercializing green hydrogen production as a sustainable fuel.
- Implementing energy reforms
- Implementing reforms to network industries, including freight and rail.
- Refurbishing the rail line between Gauteng and Ngqura.
- Developing an EV certification programme for skills development.