The price of entry to electric car ownership has plummeted in South Africa in the last two years, as motorists now have access to four different options under R400,000.
It was only a few years ago that electric vehicles (EVs) were gatekept behind million-rand price tags, as the only models on the market were sold by luxury brands like BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Jaguar.
However, brands like BYD, Geely, Chery, and Dongfeng have since launched mass-market hatchbacks that are much more affordable with prices that are more in line with traditional combustion engine vehicles.
This wave of affordable EVs was arguably kickstarted by the BYD Dolphin Surf, which brought starting prices down to R341,000.
This was a breakthrough moment for the segment, as motorists could now purchase an EV from a well-known international brand for less than the price of a VW Polo – a staple of the South African car scene.
However, the BYD is no longer the cheapest EV in the country, as this crown now belongs to the R339,900 Geely E2.
The Dolphin Surf is still the second cheapest, while third place goes to the R349,900 Dongfeng Box.
The Box is actually tied with the fourth model on our top five list, as Chery recently introduced the new Q, its first all-electric car in South Africa, with a sticker of R349,900.
All four of these models cost less than R400,000, while the fifth most affordable EV is quite a lot more expensive at R499,000 for the Dongfeng Vigo. To be fair, the Vigo is an SUV, while the others are all hatchbacks.
All of these cars boast a range of at least 200km on the WLTP cycle, which is the range standard most commonly used to compare EVs in South Africa.
While this isn’t as good as a petrol or diesel car, it should be more than enough for most users to complete their daily routine.
These cars can also be recharged at home, meaning you’ll never have to visit a petrol station again – a huge selling point in a year when fuel prices have climbed past R27 per litre.
Budget options that avoid the petrol station
These are the cheapest electric cars currently on sale in South Africa.
Click on the underlined prices for more information. Note that the range stats are based on the WLTP cycle.
Geely E2
- Starting price – R339,900
- Power – 85kW/150Nm
- Range – 325km
BYD Dolphin Surf
- Starting price – R341,900
- Power – 55kW/135Nm
- Range – 232km
Dongfeng Box
- Starting price – R349,000
- Power – 70kW/160Nm
- Range – 430km
Chery Q
- Starting price – R349,900
- Power – 90kW/115Nm
- Range – 340km
Dongfeng Vigo
- Starting price – R499,000
- Power – 120kW/230Nm
- Range – 401km
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