ESSENTIALS

Journeys by Design (01273 623790; journeys bydesign.com) offers six nights in South Africa from £8,542pp (four sharing) including three nights at Cheetah Plains on an exclusive basis and three at Ellerman House Villa. Domestic flights and road transfers are also included.

British Airways (ba.com) flies from London to Johannesburg from £416 return. From there, Federal Air (0027 11 395 9000; fedair.com) flies to Cheetah Plains from £640 return.

issues. One evening, as a storm swelled around us, our vehicle wouldn’t start. Forked lightning crackled through the pink sky. Thankfully, after a few worried attempts, Matt managed to start it up. On another drive, the vehicle refused to reverse up a gentle bank. “Have you turned it off and on again?” asked tracker Simm. Of course, as with so much technology, that worked.

Another issue is mileage between charges – currently around 30 miles (48km). “That’s to do with software programming and using the batteries more effectively,” said van Niekerk.

But batteries are in themselves a problem. Consider the environmental and community impacts of mining for the raw materials, as well as the energy required to make them. The Global Battery Alliance – an organisation launched by the World Economic Forum to drive a more sustainable battery industry – found that in Germany, where over 30 per cent of energy sources are renewable, “it it takes nine years yea for an electric car to be greener tha than a diesel car”, assuming a specific spec average mileage. By then, most electric ele vehicles will have been replaced. Batteries can of course co be recycled or repurposed, repurpos but it is costly. Despite such reservations, there’s no doubt that electric vehicles are the future, both on the road and in the bush. And on safari, there’s a bonus: silence is a luxury – and when it’s good for our planet, it’s even better.