{"id":855516,"date":"2026-04-11T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=855516"},"modified":"2026-04-10T16:40:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T14:40:11","slug":"south-africans-flocking-to-electric-cars-after-record-fuel-price-increase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/motoring\/855516\/south-africans-flocking-to-electric-cars-after-record-fuel-price-increase\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africans rushing to electric cars after record fuel price increase"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Interest in electric cars is growing in South Africa amid rising fuel prices, but the benefits can extend beyond fuel savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuel prices in South Africa are at the mercy of international developments, with the oil price skyrocketing following the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran and the Persian nation’s attacks on the energy supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with the government lowering the fuel levy by R3 for April, South Africans are still paying R3 more per litre of petrol and over R7 per litre on diesel this month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the rise in fuel prices, interest in electric cars is starting to spike as motorists look to reduce their exposure to higher fuel costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volvo Car South Africa believes that the benefits of buying EVs go far beyond the pump. The Swedish car company is a leading figure in South Africa’s EV market, with the EX30 being the highest-selling EV. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volvo said that it has seen a massive increase in interest in its electric vehicle range over the last month, with fuel costs remaining the catalyst. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFuel price increases may start the conversation, but they are not the full story,\u201d says Grant Locke, Managing Director of Volvo Car South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you look at the total cost of ownership, the flexibility, and the advancements in battery technology, electric vehicles begin to make a compelling case on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EVs typically have lower servicing costs because they have fewer moving parts than internal combustion engine vehicles, which can result in lower maintenance costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many cases, servicing intervals extend to every two years, with costs often lower than those of traditional vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battery durability is also evolving quickly, as most manufacturers now offer battery warranties of up to eight years or 160,000 kilometres, which provides peace of mind for many buyers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With responsible charging habits such as maintaining charge levels between 20% and 80%, battery longevity can be further extended. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those considering pre-owned electric vehicles, Volvo said that manufacturers offer battery health certificates, providing transparency into remaining battery life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No need to go to the petrol station<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Grant Locke, Managing Director of Volvo Car South Africa.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Another major benefit of electric cars is the element of control, as EV owners can choose where to charge their cars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The ability to charge at home fundamentally changes the economics of driving,” said Locke. “Whether it is overnight charging on lower tariffs or making use of solar power.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although public fast charging remains an option, it is typically the most expensive method. Charging 50kWh using a DC fast charger will often cost around R400 and deliver about 250-300 km of range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, charging the same amount at home during off-peak periods could cost close to R175, depending on electricity tariffs. These savings become larger over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A typical commuter moving 60 kilometres per weekday and charging at home would spend less than R1,000 per month on energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on an average consumption of 16kWh per 100 kilometres and an electricity rate of approximately R3.50 per kWh, the monthly cost would be closer to R750.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These savings become more meaningful as the fuel price increases bite into other parts of the economy, driving up food and retail prices due to higher transportation costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs more South Africans begin to understand these dynamics, the shift to electric becomes less about reacting to fuel prices and more about making a smarter long-term mobility choice,\u201d said Locke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the upfront costs of EVs are typically a barrier for many, the long-term economics are slowly shifting in their favour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This includes South Africa actively expanding EV charging networks, with policy support increasingly aligning with electrification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Volvo says that the interest in electric cars is growing, adding that the benefits extend beyond the fuel savings. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":855559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11119],"tags":[10879],"class_list":["post-855516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motoring","tag-volvo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=855516"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":856682,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855516\/revisions\/856682"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/855559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=855516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=855516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=855516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}