China’s Geely has a new EV coming to the local market, and, as these vehicles go, it’s positively affordable. It’s also positively adorable. The Geely E2 arrives in two variants, the Aspire and the Apex, with the former starting at R340,000.
The Apex version is a substantial chunk of your bank account more expensive, starting at R390,000. Based on the price alone, this is the version of the E2 you want to drive. But… a solid EV for less than R350k has its attractions too.
Geely E2: Geely harder
Most of the important features are common across the Geely E2 range. Both feature an 85kW motor and a maximum range of 325km on a charge. The prospect of experiencing rear-wheel drive in a compact EV is also rather exciting. Zero to 100km/h is a relatively ploddy 11.5 seconds, probably to keep that 39.4 kWh LFP from disappearing too quickly. DC fast charging up to 70kW is supported, and both models include a wallbox home charger (but conditions apply).
The E2’s exterior lighting system exploits LED on all sides, while the curved outer surfaces all look sufficiently 2026. Whether that’ll age well remains to be seen. Inside, a 14.6in central touchscreen sits alongside an 8.8in digital instrument cluster. Exactly how Geely is keeping its costs down is something we’d love to interrogate further.
Keyless start, 15in rims, and a rear camera/sensor array are common across the Geely E2. Choose to pay for the Apex, and you’ll swap the rims for a 16in alloy set, the fabric seats for vegan leather, and gain a few extras. Powered seating adjustments, ambient lighting, and a set of advanced driver-assistance system features are among the additions. If that’s all you need to know, they’re already on sale. A chunk of them have likely been sold.
