Readers’Views
Electric cars are marvellous, but how will power be guaranteed?
The article “New cars set to give SA a volt jolt” (December 9) refers. Wow! Talk about putting the cart before the horse — such as by a full kilometre!
Consider the electric vehicle (EV) as “the cart” and our wonderful electricity supply “the horse”. If
Eskom cannot be relied on to supply the power for lights, factories and other essential services, how, pray tell, will it be able to “guarantee” a supply of electricity to EVs?
Before SA embraces this new technology, we need to get our electrical house in order.
How much strain will even 15%25% EVs of the total sales units put on our already overstretched electrical supply?
Perhaps a better solution for SA is hybrid-vehicle technology, rather than full-blown EVs. Hybrid technology uses a small internal combustion engine to charge the electrical storage batteries or, if needed, provides direct drive. Think the Toyota Prius or the current version of Formula One cars.
Then, when SA’s power production is stable, we can move to pure EVs.
No amount of rebates and/or purchase incentives will make up for charging stations without power.
I can foresee a number of SA’s EVs parked in garages and driveways, rather than their owners risking running out of electricity kilometres from home or work during loadshedding.
Donald Keene, Betty’s Bay
Eskom bloated with incompetents
“At last, an Eskom light-bulb moment” (December 9) was a good, concise column which highlights the many problems afflicting Eskom due to malfeasance and being exceedingly overstaffed.
Too many chiefs and failure to manage by clear management objectives. It’s time for a mass clearout and getting back to the same levels of management as in 1994, when Eskom was a world-beater.
Keith Blair, on businesslive
What is actually happening at Eskom is absolutely nothing.
Eskom does not have enough competence among its bloated staff complement to make anything work.
The skills base has been eroded, and the fast-paced increase in corruption has resulted in vague numbers. I don’t think they even know themselves how bad it really is.
The permanent staff getting (note: I didn’t say “earning”) those big fat salaries don’t know how to do what they were employed to do.
J vN, on businesslive
DStv magazines’ vanishing act
Derick Clegg has my full support and sympathy, “Where’s my DStv magazine?” (Readers’ Views, December 9).
I have been trying to get mine since 2014. Each time I contact DStv I am told that the magazine has been sent to me. If this is true, where have my past 50 issues gone?
They have assured me that they have noted my change of address, so I have great difficulty in believing anything they say.
Beyond frustrating and unacceptable.
Beryl Ellis, by e-mail