South Africa has its very own electric vehicle (EV) brand, and it’s becoming a major hit both locally and overseas.
Known as MellowVans, the company has created an innovative three-wheeler EV that splits the difference between a motorbike and a small van, making it an ideal choice for last-mile delivery and courier services.
The battery-powered vans are already seeing widespread use in South Africa and have begun to branch out into other markets, including Europe.
A local success story
MellowVans’ factory is based in Stellenbosch and uses 70% locally-sourced components to build its EVs, which are commonly used by e-commerce brands like Takealot, DHL, SkyNet, and DPD Laser, as well as on-demand grocery apps like Spar2U and Woolies Dash.
Despite its success, the name has likely flown under the radar for most road users, since its EVs are usually branded with the logos or colours of the companies leasing them instead of MellowVans’ own labels.
Under the company’s current business model, the vans are only leased on two- to three-year agreements, but this includes a full Internet of Things subscription for things like fleet tracking, insurance, and maintenance.
The two biggest advantages of the EVs are storage space and running costs, which gives them a competitive edge over bikes and vans.
The unique shape of the three-wheeler means it has enough space to accommodate up to 2,500 litres of cargo weighing a combined 150kg, which is substantially more than what a typical motorcycle or scooter with a load box can handle.
The greater load capacity means that the MellowVan can complete more deliveries per drive, massively improving efficiency and lowering logistics costs for its customers.
On top of this inherent efficiency, the electric nature of the vans means they cost much less to operate than an equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) model.
MellowVans claims that a typical delivery with one of its vehicles costs just R16.94, compared to the R32.36 it would require to send out two ICE bikes carrying the same amount of goods.
The EVs have enough range to cover 130km between top-ups, and their moderately sized batteries can be replenished using a conventional CCS-to-wall plug adapter.
Another benefit of the vans is that they support active cooling for transporting perishable goods – useful for services delivering items like groceries and temperature-sensitive medication.
The MellowVan hasn’t just been a success in South Africa, as the brand has since branched out to neighbouring countries in Namibia and Botswana.
What’s more, the company has managed to break into the European market, being the first South African original equipment manufacturer to achieve homologation in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
The automaker shipped its first batch of EVs to Europe in September 2024 after undergoing trial runs in both Belgium and the Netherlands.
The MellowVan even managed to win the award for Best Vehicle for Goods Logistics at this year’s Paris Auto Show.
How it started
MellowVans didn’t start as a light commercial supplier; instead, it began life in 2012 under a different name – MellowCabs.
Founder Neil du Preez initially came up with the cab as an all-electric public transport solution for cities, but he and his team later found that their creation had an untapped market for commercial deliveries.
This revelation came after DHL’s managing director told MellowCabs that it would use their products if they were converted into delivery vehicles.
MellowCab passenger model.
The company has repeatedly run into supply constraints limiting its production and thus failed to reach the 50,000-per-annum requirement for the South African Automotive Production Development Programme incentive.
However, sufficient funding came from investors, family, and friends, which kept the balance sheets stable until MellowVans later qualified for funding from the Industrial Development Corporation.
Thanks to these contributions, the automaker has steadily increased output from its starting point of one per day, up to four per day by April 2024, and 10 per day by August 2024.
While the initial stock being sent to Europe is all South African-made, MellowVans has ambitions to open new production facilities in destination markets like the Netherlands, Hungary, or Egypt.
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