With new brands showing up almost daily and car-charge stations cropping up at every corner, it’s arguably the best time to get into an EV in South Africa. We can’t promise that Eskom won’t fall from its pedestal in some spectacular fashion in the near future, though. If the thought doesn’t faze you, we’ve compiled a list of all the electric cars you can buy in South Africa, including price, range, and power.

BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort / Dynamic

Pricing: R340,000 / R390,000

Range: 232km / 295km

Power: 55kW

Believe it or not, this isn’t BYD’s only ‘Dolphin’ EV. Don’t let it distract from the fact that the Dolphin Surf is about as cheap as it is adorable. It still demands R340,000. Even so, this is still South Africa’s most affordable EV. It’s designed to stick to the streets, powered by a 55kW front-wheel-drive motor, and gets by with a 30kWh Blade battery that’ll land you anywhere between 232km and 295km range. Plus, it looks kinda cool.

Dayun Yuehu S5 Standard/VIP

Pricing: R400,000 / R450,000

Range: 300km

Power: 105kW

Dayun’s new Yuehu S5 SUV got its start in SA last year, thanks to the folks at Enviro Automotive, a local importer of battery-powered vehicles. The car employs a small but reliable 31.7 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that Dayun reckons will net 300km range on a single charge, ideal for zipping up to the nearest Makro.

Dongfeng Box E2 / E3

Pricing: R470,000 / R530,000

Range: 430km (CLTC)

Power: 70kW

Like most of South Africa’s “affordable” EVs, the Dongfeng Box is a compact hatchback built to steer you away from the country’s more traditional automakers. Dongfeng’s so-called “city slicker” stands out with a claimed 430km range, though you’ll probably want to keep out the right lane on the highway — it tops out at 140km/h.

BYD Dolphin Standard / Extended

Pricing: R540,000 / R600,000

Range: 310km / 427km

Power: 70kW / 150kW

Told you. Funny names aside, this is the Dolphin you want, assuming you can afford the extra cost compared to the Dolphin Surf. Featuring a 70kW/180Nm-producing electric motor on the Standard trim, the Extended model revs that up to 150kW — enabling roughly 420km on a single charge.

Geely E5 (Aspire / Apex)

Pricing: R700,000 / R760,000

Range: Up to 430km

Power: 160kW

Geely is back, and it’s brought the all-electric E5 with it. Packed to the brim with tech, Geely’s sub-R1 million price makes it ideal for jetting around town or even off-road. It’s bolstered by what Geely calls a “Short blade” battery that’ll pull through roughly 430km on a single charge.

BYD Atto 3 Standard / Extended

Pricing: R700,000 / R784,000

Range: 345km / 420km

Power: 150kW

Continuing BYD’s streak comes the Atto 3, which has cruised SA’s streets for over two years now. It’s still one of the more competent EVs, going from 0-100km/h in just 7.3 seconds. And with a standard 50.1kWh or 60.4kWh battery pack, it’ll get you halfway to Durban from Joburg, and a bit further if you opt for the Extended trim.

GWM Ora 03 300 Super Luxury / 400 Super Luxury

Pricing: R687,000 / R776,000

Range: 310km / 420km

Power: 126kW

Oh, how far we’ve come. Back when the GWM Ora 03 turned up in South Africa, it was considered the cheapest EV. It’s still relatively affordable nearly three years on. With the competition now targeting the sub-R500,000 market, we’re keen to see what GWM pulls off next, preferably with a cheaper price tag.

GWM Ora 03 400 Ultra Luxury / 400 GT Ultra Luxury

Pricing: R806,000 / R836,000

Range: 420km / 400km

Power: 126kW

There wasn’t enough space to contain all this Ora above. These are the stats for the other variants.

Dongfeng 007 E1 530 / E1 620 / E2 540

Pricing: R800,000 / R860,000 / R930,000

Range: 580km (CLTC)

Power: 160kW / 200kW / 400kW

James Bond wouldn’t be caught dead in Dongfeng’s new 007 EV, but the average South African… might make it work. It helps that the 007 comes in under R1 million, while also packing in a 400kW motor that Dongfeng reckons will hit 100km/h in 3.75 seconds — only slightly terrifying on South Africa’s roads.

Volvo EX30

Pricing: R836,000

Range: 476km

Power: 200kW

Under the Volvo umbrella comes the EX30, the company’s cheapest EV in SA. It’s also one of the more futuristic-looking cars Stuff has had the pleasure of driving. It’s a superb daily driver, with its smaller stature helping it nip through city traffic. Range anxiety isn’t an issue for day-to-day commutes, though you’ll need to thoroughly plan your route for a trip to Durban.

Mini Aceman E/SE

Pricing: R803,400 / R942,500

Range: 350km / 380km

Power: 135kW / 160kW

Mini doesn’t concern itself with budget, and we can’t blame ’em. People are still buying the things, so it’ll continue making the things. Still, the cheapest you’ll pay to drive an all-electric Mini is in the still-too-high R800-900k range, delivering a fairly average 380km range and 160kW power we’d expect from a cheaper EV.

Mini Cooper SE

Pricing: R873,500

Range: 362km

Power: 160kW

You’re not buying the all-electric Mini Cooper SE for its outstanding EV performance. You’re buying the brand and its stunning interiors, which we admit are pretty impressive. It bloody well better be, at this price. There’s no denying that better value could be found elsewhere, with a somewhat shoddy 362km range on a single charge.

Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica / Elettrica 280 Veloce

Pricing: R800,000 / R1 million

Range: 407km / 334km

Power: 115kW / 206kW

Enter Alfa Romeo’s Junior Elettrica, a newcomer that South Africa welcomed onto its market in early 2025. With a sub-R1 million price, Alfa’s compact SUV reckons it’ll have you fired up in just 45 minutes with the 11kW AC charger, while a DC charger takes you up to 80% in less than 30 minutes. Impressive. And it looks good, too.

Changan Deepal S07 L

Price: R996,000

Range: 500km

Power: 160kW

It comes mighty close to crossing over into seven-figure territory, but Changan’s Deepal S07 L clings on with a R996,000 price. It’s actually worth it, even if you haven’t heard the name before. That’s down to the 500km range Changan claims here, even if the 160kW power is a little bit of a letdown.

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BYD’s brought with it two variants for the Sealion 5, including the cheaper ‘Comfort’ model for R500,000, while the ‘Dynamic’ packs in a electric sunroof and electric folding mirrors, bringing the cost up to R570,000. Whether a few extras are worth the extra R70k (the battery and engine remain unchanged) is on you.

BYD’s done it again

The Sealion 5 makes a name for itself as the country’s cheapest PHEV, beating out the likes of the Chery Tiggo 7 and the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, which span the R500- and R600,000 price range. The Sealion 5 technically comes in at R490,900, a figure we don’t doubt will be clinched by some other Chinese brand before long.

At these prices, you’d best be getting your money’s worth. BYD has obliged, by the looks of it. The Sealion 5 packs in BYD’s “electric-first” DM-i (Dual-Mode Intelligent) hybrid technology as well as a blade battery, sporting an NCM lithium battery. That all amounts to the single electric motor producing 145kW and 52km pure electric driving range. This being a PHEV, it’s coupled with a 1.5L internal combustion engine (ICE).

“…We’re not just launching a new car; we’re redefining value in the SUV market. We believe South African families shouldn’t have to choose between cutting-edge efficiency, premium features, and financial peace of mind. The Sealion 5 delivers all three, proving that you can step into the future of driving without a luxury price tag,” said Steve Chang, managing director at BYD Auto South Africa.

Read More: Uber’s new fleet of electric vehicles will get you where you need to go, slowly

The interior is no slouch, either. Standard with every Sealion 5 comes a 12.8in infotainment system, keyless entry, wireless charging, voice control, with an 8.8in instrument cluster tucked behind the steering wheel. The steering itself features a host of physical buttons to fiddle with instead of resorting to the iPad-sized touchscreen console.

All buyers also unlock a 3.5kW wallbox charger, while the car supports BYD’s vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, which allows the car to act as a portable power bank wherever you are. Even a year ago, South Africans would’ve gone mad for an Eskom-combating vehicle like this one. Now it’s just a shrug and a “huh, cool.” More important are BYD’s eventual plans to deploy more than 300 EV chargers around the country.

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This one’s for the PHEV heads

It may not have the allure of being South Africa’s most affordable EV (a title that belongs to BYD’s Dolphin Surf), and it won’t get anywhere near the company’s YangWang in terms of pure speed. But if the company sticks to its initial pricing projections from June (via MyBroadband), it could start at roughly R550,000 in South Africa.

BYD’s Sea Lion 5 follows the slightly more capable Sea Lion 6, which recently appeared in South Africa. The Sea Lion 5 couples a 1.5-litre engine with a 120kW electric motor and a 12.96kWh battery, which can eke out 64km of electric range. A higher-spec model will offer a 18.31kWh cell, with 93km range, according to TopAuto.

Read More: Nvidia, Uber, Stellantis, and Foxconn join forces to accelerate self-driving fleet

“Full specifications and pricing for the Sea Lion 5 will be revealed in November followed by consumer sales across BYD dealerships countrywide,” the company said.

It’ll take around four or six hours to charge up the entry-level and higher-spec batteries, respectively, using a 3.3kW AC charger. Overall, BYD reckons the PHEV can cover a range of around 1,400km. Buyers also get a 15.6-inch rotating infotainment screen, wireless charging, keyless entry and start, plus more to be revealed in early November.

Source

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The previous record, set by Bugatti’s Chiron Super Sport 300+, wasn’t entirely blasted past, but it was put in the rear mirror. The Chiron Super Sport 300+ managed 490.5km/h on the track in 2019. BYD’s new contender has squeaked by with a similarly sphincter-puckering 496.22km/h. It was only set in one direction on the Papenburg oval, so it’s not properly official, but Bugatti’s speed record was set the same way. So there’s that.

BYD is coming up fast

You can watch BYD’s own highly dramatised version of the recent track run above (or here), but it’s the closing seconds of the video that are of the most interest. Once all the lovely pans and sweeps are done, there’s just silence and a top speed usually reserved for vehicles with wings. German driver Marc Basseng was behind the wheel, and his feat is one you’ll probably never replicate, assuming you could afford one of the planned 30 production units.

It takes a special sort of madness to play around with the YangWang U9 Extreme’s 3,000 horsepower, which uses one of the world’s first 1,200V EV platforms — likely the EliteSiC M3e — for improved efficiency and performance.

What we can’t find on the vehicle’s website is any mention of the range for the battery setup, though the company gushes on about the suspension, tyres (which are intended to withstand speeds of 500km/h), braking, and weight reduction innovations. Presumably, nobody will ever drive one of the YangWang U9 Extreme EVs at full capacity on a real road. It’s a track beast, but if anyone ever does floor it on the highway, it’ll probably be mentioned in their obituary.

The Chinese company hasn’t mentioned pricing for the U9 Extreme’s extremely limited production run. It’s probably just as well.

The post BYD’s YangWang U9 Extreme electric hypercar clocks 496km/h at Germany’s Papenburg test track appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

That goes for both trims of the Dolphin Surf headed to South Africa. The Dolphin Surf Comfort is set to launch at R340,000, while the Dolphin Surf Dynamic tops out at R390,000 thanks to its larger battery. It’s snaking the crown away from the Dayun Yuehu S5, which achieved moderate success last year due to its R400k price.

Don’t flog the Dolphin Surf

It doesn’t look shabby, either. It’s a proper compact hatchback, measuring only 3.9m in length, with a ‘single-arc silhouette’ that BYD says only adds to the ocean aesthetic it’s going for here. Inside lies a “wave shape” instrument panel, packed with a 10.1in display that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A 7in digital instrument cluster sits behind the steering wheel. This can be woken by saying “Hi, BYD.”

“We are bringing a truly affordable and well-equipped urban electric vehicle to the mass market,” said Ming Xing, brand and marketing manager at BYD SA. “This isn’t just about making EVs available; it’s about making them a viable, attractive option for everyday South Africans. We are confident that its combination of safety, range, and smart features, all at a highly competitive price point, will make it a game-changer.”

If you’re on a budget, the R340k Comfort trim makes do with a 30kWh Blade battery, supposedly delivering a range of 232km on a charge. It’s powered by a 55kW front-wheel-drive motor and features a DC charging rate of 30kW. The Dynamic ups the charge speed to 40kW — which BYD claims performs a 30-80% charge in 30 minutes. It’s topping up the 38.8kWh battery, which offers a range of 295km.

You’re also getting 16in alloy rims across both variants, full-width LED tail-lights, and reverse cameras. You’ll have to pony up for the Dynamic Dolphin Surf if wireless in-car charging is a must. The Dolphin Surf is available in lime green, cream white, ice blue, and cosmos black — and can be taken for a test drive.

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The XPress fleet didn’t necessarily need to be fully EV, but Staniland felt it was the natural progression for mUther, a store which primarily focuses on “high-tech” smart home products. Don’t discount the brand recognition, either. Nobody will remember SA’s “second all-EV courier company.”

XPress delivery incoming

“We are thrilled to announce that the newly formed, XPress, is now fully operational as a standalone overnight courier in Gauteng and neighbouring areas. The company is unique in that we run a fleet of pure EVs,” said Staniland.

“Fleet” may be a strong word, but it’s the one XPress is sticking with during the company’s “formative stages”. Its courier abilities are currently limited to a trio of BYD Dolphin EVs, all of which are confined to Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo for the time being. Stanliand claims each vehicle in the fleet is more than capable of exceeding the 400km range in a single charge, meaning XPress has opted for the ‘Extended’ Dolphin trim.

In addition to a fresh coat of paint, each Dolphin EV has had its back and passenger sets removed to maximise the limited space, essentially turning these into mini panel vans. Despite the range limitations — and the charging time — Staniland says that the fleet is already paying dividends, improving efficiency for mUther’s online store.

Read More: Chery to launch 19 hybrids in SA in 2025, headlined by the Tiggo 6, 7, and 9 models

Don’t expect any same-day deliveries from XPress. This is an overnight courier that charges R99 per delivery, and ensures next-day dropoff as long as you book it before 10h00. Customers can track their deliveries through a dedicated portal on the XPress website.

“All our drivers are also trained on our proprietary software to accept parcels on the spot via our Bring It service. This allows clients to simply scan a QR code to send a parcel there and then, to remove unnecessary paperwork and admin, which is pretty unique in SA,” Staniland continued.

Even though XPress may have a tougher time than most traditional couriers operating today, Standliand says the company is already thinking of an expansion in Durban, Cape Town, and Nelspruit. “We are also considering adding a few BYD Seagulls for intra-city deliveries. But it’s still early days for this exciting new business,” concluded Staniland.

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“We are thrilled to introduce the BYD Shark, SEALION 6, and SEALION 7 to South Africa,” said Steve Chang, Managing Director of BYD Auto SA. “These vehicles reflect BYD’s commitment to technological innovation, sustainability, and excellence. With this launch, we are offering South African consumers a new level of performance, efficiency, and smart mobility solutions.”

BYD swimming with sharks

The Shark 6 centers around the car brand’s DMO super hybrid off-road platform, an approach to building the chassis that integrates a robust frame, an adaptive four-wheel drive system, and an off-road powertrain designed specifically for off-road hybrids such as this.

It boasts a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors for peak outputs of 321kW and 650Nm of torque, making it South Africa’s most powerful bakkie. This allows for a sprint time from a standstill to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. It can do 85km (WLTP) on purely EV juice and will consume around 9.6L/100km of petrol when the battery runs out.

Like any new EV, the Shark 6 is packed with tech to make the drive comfy and keep its occupants safe. There’s a center-mounted 15.6in rotating infotainment display (along with physical controls for some functions) to keep you busy, while adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, lane departure prevention, and front and rear cross traffic alert should help to keep you physically separated from other motorists.

The BYD Shark 6 Premium is priced at R960,000.

BYD describes the plug-in hybrid Sealion 6 as “the perfect family SUV,” and it’s available in three derivatives – Comfort FWD, Dynamic FWD, and Premium AWD.

The front-wheel drive (FWD) models incorporate a 1.5-litre engine paired with an electric motor for peak outputs of 160kW and 300Nm, while the all-wheel drive (AWD) version comes with a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine and suitably higher outputs of 238kW and 550Nm.

Read More: BYD unveils new and improved DiPilot self-driving system

According to BYD, the FWD model boasts 80km of electric range, while the AWD model will do 70km. A full tank gets drivers up to 1,080km of range in the FWD version and 870km in the AWD version.

Inside, you’ll be able to play with a familiar 15.6in infotainment display, and it will even throw up important driving info onto the windshield like you’re playing Need for Speed. There’s no NOS button, unfortunately.

Pricing for the three derivatives are:

• Sealion 6 Comfort FWD – R640,000
• Sealion 6 Dynamic FWD – R690,000
• Sealion 6 Premium AWD – R790,000

Finally, the Sealion 7 is the Chinese automaker’s fourth pure electric vehicle introduced to South Africa, with two models available: Premium RWD (rear-wheel drive) and Performance AWD, with the latter claiming peak outputs of 390kw and 690Nm.

Both are equipped with an 82.5kWh ‘Blade’ battery, which BYD says will result in around 482km of range from the Premium variant and 456km from the Performance model. If you’re in a hurry, the former will do 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds, while the latter will do it in 4.5.

Lastly, the Sealion 7’s battery has fast charging abilities, allowing it to go from 20% to 80% capacity in 30 minutes. A purchase also includes a 2.2kW portable charger and a 7kW wall charger.

The BYD Sealion 7 Premium is available for R1,100,000, while the Sealion 7 Performance costs R1,300,000.

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BYD goes autopilot

The system consists of three tiers: DiPilot 600, the most capable of the lot, uses a triple-LiDAR-equipped system for the company’s Yangwang models. DiPilot 300 uses a single LiDAR unit and is aimed at “Denza and select BYD models”, while DiPilot 100 swaps out the LiDAR systems for a front-facing tri-camera setup and as the entry-level system will presumably be available to all cars from the company.

The DiPilot 300 and 600 systems will have access to the High-speed Navigation On Autopilot (HNOA) feature which enables equipped vehicles to follow set navigation paths while also entering and exiting ramps, lane keeping and changing and avoiding obstacles effectively.

Another feature, Automated Valet Parking, allows owners to automate self-parking tasks like drop-off and go, and self-parking after locking, supposedly based on “users’ parking habits and various driving scenarios.”

Memory Navigation on Autopilot (MNOA) is another self-driving feature for riskier high-frequency travel routes, like commutes. It achieves this with functions like automatic stop-and-go at traffic lights, passing through complex intersections, automatic overtaking, and more. An impressive feature list, for sure, but seeing it in action on South African roads is another story.

BYD maintains that the DiPilot System can enhance drivers’ safety. In HNOA mode, the DiPilot 100 system can auto-pilot itself for over 1,000km without manual intervention. The Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) function can supposedly “reliably stop at speeds up to 100 km/h.” The company also plans on extending this number to 120km/h and 140km/h. BYD also claims the braking system has a success rate of 99%, though the company didn’t delve into the tests’ specifics.

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Like Tej and Roman’s space-bound Pontiac Fiero, BYD’s U9 is supposed to be something special. No, the Chinese car won’t drift in space but it’s supposed to hop over obstacles in the road. Obstacles like potholes and spike strips and… rainbow dust?

Grab your Yangwang

It’s supposed to do all of this autonomously, at speeds of about 120km/h. There’s a video of the supercar doing the rounds — you’ll see it above — that claims to show what BYD reckons its Yangwang can do. It launches over a pothole, clearing six metres of road in the process, before doing the same with a collection of caltrops and then a section of coloured dust.

BYD reckons that its DiSus-X suspension, which allows the car to dynamically adjust its ground clearance, is the reason why it’s able to leap and soar the way it does. Intelligent Damping Body Control and Intelligent Hydraulic Body Control are also contributors, allowing for remarkable capability.

There’s just one problem. It all seems wholly unbelievable. This is helped by the production values BYD has lobbed at its Yangwang U9 demonstration video. It looks like it was rendered entirely on a computer, all slick shots and cutaways that show the most flattering angle for… well, everything.

Read More: The BYD Seal hits South Africa with a seven-figure price tag

Far more convincing would be raw footage — a set of static cameras showing the entire run in an unbroken stream from several angles. It’s not that BYD’s vehicle isn’t capable of leaping over obstacles. Sensors and computer-controlled driving may well make it possible. But believing it based on this marketing promo is a tough ask.

If it is true, we probably won’t ever see the BYD YangWang U9 on South African roads. It’s not that we don’t need the capability but this ‘ feature’ would be in constant use. Call us old-fashioned but we’d rather not drive a car that bunny hops down the road like a rabid CounterStrike 1.6 player.

Source

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That’s… not bad. Sure, a whole million isn’t something everybody can easily rustle up. Compared to other EVs that have come our way, BYD’s kept things, not exactly reasonable but it’s kept things relatively tame for a brand-new power-guzzler in South Africa.

OMG BYD, BRB

BYD’s only brought two flavours of Seal to try out, meaning you’ll make some sacrifices when picking up the cheaper BYD Seal Lux EXT RWD for R1 million. For R200,000 more you’ll end up with the more impressive Performance AWD model – the quicker of the two, with BYD claiming a 0-100km/h speed of 3.8 seconds.

That’s in addition to the flagship model’s 160 kW/310 Nm fore and 230 kW/390 Nm aft electric motors, coupled with an 82.56kWh battery that’ll get you (most of the way) to Durban with its 520km of range. The RWD derivative only features a single synchronous electric motor in the back, powering the rear’s 230kW and 360Nm specs.

Read More: The fourth-generation Suzuki Swift will officially start at R220,000

It may only reach 100km/h from a standstill in 5.9 seconds, but the single-motor promises to add 50km to the range for your troubles, despite sharing the 82.56kWh battery from the AWD. That’s 570km if you’re struggling to do the math. All that, for a whole lot less cash. It may not be a racer, but with the remaining R200,000, you’ll find more than enough racecar beds to keep you satisfied.

Rather than hold something like the in-car tech to ransom, BYD has included all the equipment in both models as standard. That means a 15.6in infotainment system hogging the Seal’s centre console, while a 10.25in entertainment cluster dominates the driver’s side. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are there too, as is a Dynaudio 12-speaker set-up, a 360-degree camera array, and all the sensors you’ll ever need.

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