22 April marks Earth Day 2025, a global movement dedicated to educating and empowering businesses and individuals to make more sustainable choices, particularly in renewable energy.
Celebrated annually since 1970, Earth Day 2025’s theme is “Our Power, Our Planet". One of the aims is to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030. Volvo, a leader in the South African electric vehicle market, has also set a goal for 2030 that aligns with Earth Day: to sell 90-100% electrified vehicles globally by the start of the new decade.
“Following the successful introduction of the C40 and XC40 Recharge, as well as the award-winning EX30, Volvo has expanded its fully electric line-up with the introduction of the EX90,” says Felipe Yagi, Head of Marketing & Communications at Volvo Car South Africa. “Later this year, we’re planning to introduce the ES90 luxury sedan and EX30 Cross Country, bringing electrification to an even wider range of customers.”
Electric vehicles are a natural fit with renewable energy, allowing stakeholders and businesses to contribute to creating a cleaner and greener environment for all. Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE), for example, has embarked on an ambitious plan to roll out 120 off-the-grid charging stations across South Africa (at 150km intervals), allowing owners to charge their electric cars emissions-free1.
Of course, true sustainability extends beyond fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Volvo understands that the world’s natural resources are finite, which is why it has set a goal of becoming a circular business by 2040.
Volvo is committed to eliminating waste and pollution, which includes increasing the use of recycled materials and remanufacturing and reusing parts. The recently launched EX90, for instance, contains around 15% recycled steel, 25% recycled aluminium, and 48kg of recycled plastics and bio-based materials.
Producing new parts requires plenty of energy and raw materials. By remanufacturing parts, Volvo could cut raw material usage by 85% and energy use by 86%. The company currently remanufactures as many as 36 different component groups, from engines to gearboxes, and in 2022, it saved more than 4 800 tonnes of CO2 by remanufacturing over 33 000 parts2.
The South African automotive industry has gained some breathing space following the latest move by the United States Senate to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, to the end of 2028.
Mazda Southern Africa has announced the arrival of all‑new Mazda CX‑5, available for pre‑order during July and August, with first deliveries expected from September. The latest generation introduces updated design, technology, safety and performance, while continuing the CX‑5’s role as one of Mazda’s most important global SUVs.
General Motors (GM) has renewed its joint venture with China's SAIC Motor Corp for another 20 years, enabling the United States (US) automaker to use China as an export hub amid rising competition from Chinese brands in and outside their home market.
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Cars are the ultimate symbol of freedom, independence and individualism. They offer the freedom to ‘go anywhere,’ whenever it suits and with whom one chooses.
Sarah Redshaw
Electric vehicles (EVs) have introduced a whole new vocabulary into motoring. Instead of simply talking about litres of fuel, cylinders and kilometres per tank, motorists are now confronted with kW, kWh, AC, DC, WLTP, regenerative braking and a host of other terms.
Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE), which is building a national network of off grid, ultra-fast EV charging stations powered by renewable energy, has welcomed the latest new energy vehicle (NEV) sales figures, saying they confirm a trend it has tracked for several years.
South Africa's transition towards electrified mobility continued to gain momentum during June 2026, with 3 045 new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold, representing a 104.2% increase compared to the 1 491 units recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
