The cheapest electric cars you can buy in South Africa right now

Over the past two years, there has been a noticeable drive to bring electric vehicles (EVs) onto the South African market. In 2022, there are now over a dozen battery-powered cars that forward-looking individuals can choose from.

According to Citing EV-volumes.com, the Electric vehicle market share in South Africa showed significant improvement in 2021, with sales rising to 218 from 92 in 2020 – showing a trend of the growing popularity of EVs.

While the word ‘cheap’ isn’t necessarily the best term to describe the cars on this list compared to their petrol and diesel counterparts, they are the cheapest in their category.

GreenCape revealed in its 2022 Electric Vehicles Market Intelligence report that 74% of those who responded to its EV price survey were only willing to pay between R200,000 and R500,000 for an electric car.

This presents a challenge as pricing for almost all EVs are above R500,000 – except for one.

Surprisingly, the cheapest EV car on this list is not as expensive as one might think. The Eleksa CityBug retails for R230,000 and costs around R15 to fully charge, said the company.

However, the CityBug is only powered by a 9kWh battery, and 4kW electric motor mounted to the rear axle, producing a blistering speed of up to 55km/h.

As a result, some South African CityBug owners still rely on a petrol- or diesel-powered car when travelling long distances that involve a fair bit of highway travel, reported TopAuto.

For those looking for an all-in-one EV that will stand in good stead for all forms of travel, manufacturers such as Mini, Volvo, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all have great EV offerings available in South Africa – although they’ll require you to dig a little deeper into your pockets compared to the CityBug.

Not so long ago, prospective EV buyers only had Mini, Jaguar, and Porsche to choose from. This has now changed, showing there is a positive move towards introducing a greater EV variety and more affordable options from which South Africans can choose.

Here is a short list of EVs you can buy right now in South Africa across the available brands:

Eleksa CityBug – R230,000

• Power: 4kW
• Range: 100km (can be extended to 200km)

Mini Cooper SE – R694,600

• Power: 135kW/270Nm
• Range: 217km

Volvo XC40 P6 Recharge – R1,075,000

• Power: 170kW/330Nm
• Range: 423km

Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 Progressive – R1,169,500

• Power: 140kW/375Nm
• Range: 429km

BMW iX3 M Sport – R1,290,000

• Power: 210kW/400Nm
• Range: 460km

Audi e-tron 55 Quattro – R1,745,000

• Power: 300kW/664Nm
• Range: 440km

Jaguar I-Pace EV400 AWD S Black – R2,029,800

• Power: 294kW/696Nm
• Range: 470km

Porsche Taycan – R2,303,000

• Power: 300kW/345Nm
• Range: 573km

Read: 11 New cars you can buy for under R200,000 in South Africa right now