Is it worthwhile owning an electric car in South Africa?

Life was simpler when you had a choice of a diesel or petrol car with an internal combustion engine (ICE).

The recent proliferation of new-energy vehicles (NEVs) — namely battery-electric cars (BEVs), hybrids and plug-in hybrids — has made the decision more complicated. A barrage of new NEVs has been launched in South Africa in the past few years as the global motor industry, driven by legislation in many countries to reduce air pollution, moves to more planet-friendly vehicles with lower or nonexistent C0₂ emissions. The EU, China and other regions are preparing to ban sales of ICE cars from the middle of the next decade.

It’s all very well to buy an electric vehicle (EV) in Norway or China which have extensive charging infrastructure and the prices are subsidised by their governments, but you may rightfully ask what is the sense of buying a battery-powered car in South Africa given the high prices of EVs coupled with the long time it takes to charge them?

EVs are on average about a third more expensive than petrol or diesel cars and the main reason they sell at a trickle. Last year, local EV sales rose 85.4% from 502 to 931 units as more models were introduced and prices became more affordable, but still accounted for just 0.17% of the 532,098 new vehicles sold.

However, there is light in the pricing tunnel, after President Cyril Ramaphosa last week announced government will have subsidies to accelerate consumer uptake of EVs. He did not provide a timeframe or say what form the subsidies would take, but it is speculated ad valorem duties on EVs might be reduced to make them more affordable.

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