Last week, I left the hum of an internal combustion engine and chose to take the plunge and try the silent torque of our company’s BYD Atto 3 for a trip to the DAS Conference in Nelspruit. As someone whose daily mission is communicating the value of a greener future, I wanted to live it.

Thanks to Chilu, our Director and unofficial Head of EV, we had a meticulous “Extended Range EV Trip Plan”: a 367 km route from Parkhurst to Mbombela, complete with specific charging stops at the Alzu Petroport and Riverside Mall.

The plan was perfect on paper. However, the reality of the road proved that in the world of EVs, time is your most precious currency.

The Detour of Distraction

My journey began slightly behind schedule, reaching the Alzu Petroport at 09h00. While my plan allocated a crisp 29 minutes for a DC fast charge, I fell victim to the Petroport’s unique charm. Between the coffee and the wildlife enclosure, I spent extra time watching the rhinos, a delay that seemed harmless at the time but would later prove to be a pivotal mistake that would haunt my last few hours home.

Because of my leisurely stop, I arrived at the Riverside Mall at 11h26, which meant I didn’t have quite the right amount of time to charge before I stepped into the conference to present. I didn’t have the buffer I expected. I had to head straight to the conference venue, unable to get the full charge I’d hoped for before my session. And so my range anxiety started. Would I have enough time to charge to get home at a reasonable time? I decided it would be fine; I would charge after I presented and head out. I’d rather leave a bit later than find myself with a dead battery on the side of the road!

Presentation vs. Power

Despite the charging hiccup, the conference itself was a highlight. I took to the stage to present on the “Status of Green Buildings in South Africa”. It felt right to be discussing sustainability while my “office for the day” was a zero-emissions vehicle, even if its battery was sitting lower than I would have liked. Although the presentation was focused on Green Buildings, I had to share with the attendees that I had come with an EV that was waiting to be charged outside.

I managed to get the car back onto the 80 kW GridCars charger at Riverside Mall later that afternoon. With the car supposedly ready for the return leg, I felt my confidence returning.

The “Mid-Message” Meltdown

I pulled back into the Alzu Petroport in the late afternoon for the final charge home. I remember sitting there, feeling inspired and starting to imagine my own life as a fully EV Sustainability Champion. I was actually in the middle of texting a friend about how much I loved the EV experience and how I was ready to convert my personal life to electric.

Then, the charging screen went dark. Mid-charge, the station went offline, apparently for “scheduled maintenance”. What was supposed to be a routine 29-minute top-up turned into a technical support saga. With the station unresponsive, the next closest charging station was 30 minutes away, in the wrong direction. By the time I reached the alternative charger and got enough power to safely reach Johannesburg, I had added 1 hour and 30 minutes to my drive.

The Reality Check

In that moment, standing at a dark charging bollard in the fading light, I’ll admit I questioned the whole endeavour. When an EV plan works, it feels like the future. When it doesn’t, you feel the weight of every kilometre.

So I drove back 40km towards Nelspruit to Astron Energy Millys stop, where I charged and was joined by a Nelspruit local who was there to charge her fully EV vehicle. We chatted about our experience and she let me in on a secret I wish I had known that morning, that the Alzu charging station is known for being offline, so much so, that when she is driving between Nelspruit and Johannesburg, she avoids it completely and doesn’t consider it in her trip planning.

My takeaways for the “Changing Architectural Landscape”:

• Respect the Schedule: If the plan says 29 minutes, don’t give the rhinos 45.
• Infrastructure Resilience: We can design the greenest buildings in Africa, but our transport network needs the same level of commitment to reliability.
• Ask the locals: If I had taken some time to read reviews and speak to the attendants at Alzu, I might have been aware of the infrastructure challenges that affected my trip later.

And so, after charging and getting back on the road, it was me, the radio and an energy drink for another 4,5 hours! I eventually made it back to Johannesburg, much later than the estimated 17h54 arrival , but with a much deeper, more “boots-on-the-ground” perspective of the sustainability journey. Would I do it again? Absolutely. But next time, I’m waving to the rhinos from the driver’s seat while the car is already plugged in.

What I would say to those who are trying to make a decision on the EV vs Petrol engine for their new car: if you are thinking about it, the answer is already yes for your EV. Just know that when doing a long distance drive, plan, and make sure your plan has a backup plan!