South African car buyers would love to own the Tesla Cybertruck, despite the model made by Pretoria-born Elon Musk’s Tesla not being available for purchase in our market.
This is according to analysis by MoneySuperMarket, which analysed Google searches for more than 200 electric vehicle (EV) models across more than 200 countries.
It found that the Tesla Cybertruck was South Africa’s fifth most-searched EV over the past year, with 45,300 searches, and was the only Tesla to make the country’s top 10.
Of the EVs South Africans can actually buy, BYD dominated the searches, taking five of the top 10 spots.
Unsurprisingly, the BYD Dolphin Surf led the pack with 74,350 searches, since it was the cheapest EV on sale in South Africa until the arrival of the Geely E2, which did not make it onto the list.
“This may come as fuel prices push more drivers to consider going electric. In fact, EV sales in the country during the first half of 2026 were reported to be 75% higher than in all of 2025,” said MoneySuperMarket.
According to the platform, the top 10 most searched-for EVs in South Africa over the past year, in order, are as follows:
| Ranking | EV model | Annual searches (South Africa, April 2025 – April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYD Dolphin Surf | 74,350 |
| 2 | BMW i7 | 57,600 |
| 3 | BYD Sealion 6 | 57,200 |
| 4 | BYD Dolphin | 51,100 |
| 5 | Tesla Cybertruck | 45,300 |
| 6 | Volvo EX30 | 43,300 |
| 7 | BYD Seal | 41,700 |
| 8 | BYD Sealion 7 | 35,200 |
| 9 | Rolls-Royce Spectre | 31,000 |
| 10 | Porsche Taycan | 28,800 |
Despite missing out on the local top 10 list, the Tesla Model Y is the most-searched EV globally with 25.1 million searches, while the Cybertruck is the most-searched-for electric model in 51 countries around the world.
MoneySuperMarket insurance expert Alicia Hempsted said electric cars are no longer the future, adding that they are very much the present; global EV searches are up 22% year-on-year, and sales exceeded 20 million in 2025.
BYD beating Tesla globally
Looking at the top twenty most-searched electric vehicles from April 2025 to April 2026, there is a clear fight for dominance between China’s BYD and America’s Tesla.
Models from these two manufacturers accounted for 40% of the overall ranking, with each claiming four models in the top 20.
According to MoneySuperMarket, the global top 20 most-searched electric cars are:
| Rank | EV model | Combined annual Google searches (April 2025 – April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla Model Y | 25,176,020 |
| 2 | Tesla Model 3 | 16,837,120 |
| 3 | BYD Seal | 15,322,040 |
| 4 | Tesla Cybertruck | 12,118,080 |
| 5 | BYD Dolphin | 10,855,030 |
| 6 | Jeep Avenger | 10,802,260 |
| 7 | Porsche Taycan | 10,362,390 |
| 8 | BMW iX3 | 10,089,710 |
| 9 | Volvo EX30 | 9,567,140 |
| 10 | BYD Sealion 7 | 9,270,730 |
| 11 | Skoda Elroq | 8,726,600 |
| 12 | MG Cyberster | 7,955,570 |
| 13 | BYD Atto 3 | 7,266,040 |
| 14 | Kia EV6 | 7,169,520 |
| 15 | Skoda Enyaq | 6,846,620 |
| 16 | Subaru e-Outback | 6,785,330 |
| 17 | Tesla Model S | 6,736,620 |
| 18 | Kia EV9 | 6,736,380 |
| 19 | Kia EV3 | 6,376,200 |
| 20 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 6,264,170 |
The Google data shows that Tesla’s EVs command the most attention overall, generating a combined 71.6 million searches worldwide.
The Tesla Model Y was the most searched-for electric vehicle on the planet, but while Tesla’s models rank first in 75 countries worldwide, BYD is making an impression in the EV market.
The Chinese brand’s models rank top as the most-Googled EV in 50 countries, including the BYD Sealion 7 in Australia, BYD Dolphin in Brazil and BYD Seagull in Egypt.
“Despite the Cybertruck’s memorable design and social media virality, it’s the Tesla Model Y that dominates in markets that have higher EV adoption,” said Hempsted.
“Sales for the Tesla Model Y mirror why the search data is so strong, with the model ranking as the best-selling EV model globally for the past three years.”
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