Durban EV roadtrips, iCloud custom email, credit card fees abroad
Tech Things #60
So much has happened lately, so consider this your tech and travel catch-up. Good news if you own an EV or plugin-hybrid (PHEV). Two new solar off-grid EV chargers have opened on the N3 between Johannesburg and Durban. I attended both events last week, which involved a lot of driving. The Charge N3 sites are strategically located 181km from Johannesburg in the Free State and 204km from Durban at Tugela.
Both Charge N3 locations are 183km apart, making road trips with a small EV feasible without worrying about fuel costs. The Geely E2’s 39.4kWh battery would cost R360.51 to fully charge at R9.15/kWh, but EVs are rarely run down to 0%. Public chargers are priced by speed, while home charging is per kWh. At my current Eskom rate, R2.69/kWh, that 39.4kWh would cost R106 to charge. Zero Carbon Charge is also offering free AC charging from now till June 2027, so if you own a PHEV, why not take a trip to Durban?
Speaking about Durban, I also got a first look at the new Club Med South Africa resort, opening on 4 July. I think it’s the most exciting thing to happen to KZN. No surprise, they will have EV chargers on site - I asked! I have an article here, an IG carousel here and a TikTok here.
On the topic of traveling, on the international side, I compared swiping my credit cards from FNB and Discovery Bank while abroad. I cover fees, currency conversion rates, perks, etc, plus their global and forex accounts. More here:
I recently posted a guide on how-to use iCloud Custom Email Domain for paying iCloud+ subscribers. This feature allows you to add up to 5 custom domains and 3 email accounts each. It takes 5 minutes to set up and requires some technical knowledge. I outline all the steps on a post I published today. This is useful for freelancers, small business owners, and content creators. Top Tip: I just forward the iCloud mail to my Gmail and use that interface to access my emails on the web and my phone/tablet apps.
Also, don’t miss my previous article about using the iPhone as a payment terminal for Tap to Pay. If you’re a small business or vendor that operates at community events or markets, you may want to set that up asap.
You can also catch up on my Living Electric series here, if you’re considering making the switch from a petrol vehicle to an EV or PHEV
Reads you may want to catch up on
Till next time,
Nafisa