At a recent event in Cape Town, the company welcomed its inaugural fleet of four trucks in a deal facilitated through Aeversa, a JAC Motors EV dealer, and AVIS overseeing Takealot transport operations.

At a handover at Takealot's state-of-the-art distribution centre in Kempton Park, equipped with modern distribution technology, six additional JAC N75 EV 4-tonne battery trucks were put into service.

"We are excited to debut Cape Town's inaugural battery-electric trucks and are delighted to deliver an additional six JAC N75 EV trucks in Gauteng," says Reando Potgieter, COO of Aeversa. "After two years of trials and fine-tuning Takealot's integration strategy, including modelling different JAC EV trucks, we have established the necessary infrastructure and robust back-end support to manage their new emission-free EV fleet."

In June 2021, JAC Motors introduced its first battery-electric truck in South Africa, closely following the global launch of the JAC N55 EV 3-tonne truck. Aeversa acquired the first JAC N55 EV in South Africa, deploying it for comprehensive testing in diverse transport fleets. This initiative collected valuable data, which was instrumental in crafting efficient charging and EV fleet-management ecosystems.

In 2022, the company introduced its new JAC N75 EV 4-tonne truck locally, featuring a 65 kW (130 kW peak power) synchronous electric motor with 415/1 200 Nm of torque. It is powered by a 106.95 kWh LFP battery pack that allows for a reach of 200 km per charge. When a DC Fast Charger with a standard European CCS2-Combo connection is used, the battery is fully recharged in approximately 80 minutes. The JAC N75 EV also features regenerative braking to maximise battery life and range.

"We use Ampcontrol software to address range anxiety, leveraging the JAC N75 EV's 200 km per charge range to achieve a daily range of over 400 km through opportunistic charging. This cutting-edge software maximises green energy utilisation and significantly reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) of electric vehicle fleets," adds Reando.

The JAC N75 EV is packed with safety features, including ABS (Anti-lock Brake System), AEBS (Advanced Emergency Brake System), ASR (Acceleration Slip Regulation), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), and HAS (Hill Start Assist). It also features a reverse camera, rear parking sensors, and a pedestrian warning system for urban road safety.

The JAC N75 EV offers a payload of 4 050 kg. Its wheelbase is 3 845 mm, and its overall dimensions are 7 025 mm x 2 160 mm x 2 323 mm, providing sufficient space for bodies of approximately 5 000 mm in length. It offers a turning radius of 6.9 metres and a ground clearance of 190 mm. The truck offers a 50 percent reduction in fuel/energy expenses and a 70 percent lower maintenance cost than conventional ICE trucks.