While Kia may not sell an electric-powered vehicle yet, it is now possible to buy one of their cars at a dealership completely powered by the sun. Kia Motors South Africa is the first to open a flagship facility for the brand that maximizes  sustainable energy and water usage practices.

Electric power for the building comes from 288 roof-mounted solar panels which have the combined capability to power 22 households a day. Energy from the panels spits between three converters depending on the need for high or low voltage at the point of use. Excess energy is stored in three on-site battery banks for nighttime and cloudy day use.

The dealership car wash uses 100% reclaimed rain water. Collected for the roof of the building, the water passes through a filtration system and is stored in six large tanks. The water drains into a pump from the car wash bays and is transferred back through the filtration system to remove oil, dirt and soap and be reused again.

With vehicle on the market that offer an alternative to traditional petroleum as a fuel source, most are still sold out of buildings that rely on a not so clean power grid. There’s clear potential for the same energy use innovation driving vehicle development to be applied to the retail presence out of which the cars are sold.

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