Everything you need to know about the Eleksa CityBug
Remember the Baja Qute? It had SA's in a flurry because of its affordable price tag. A while back, Eleksa also launched their two-door EV, the CityBug. Here's what you need to know about one of SA's smallest and most affordable electric "cars",
While South Africans wince at the prices of EVs (like the Volvo C40 and Mercedes-EQA), a company by the name of Eleksa has brought a R237 000 Chinese-manufactured electric car to Mzansi by the name of the CityBug EV - and it's not new either - it arrived in SA towards the end of 2021 already.
Who is Eleksa?
Eleksa has been around since 2015 and their current range of EVs include e-bikes and e-tricycles, scooters, go-karts, Golf-carts, tuk-tuks and a variety of delivery-oriented and small personal mobility vehicles.
The four-seater CityBug is a compact four-seater EV, while the new Eleksa Pony, a small electric bakkie based on the CityBug, will be fulfilling commercial-only duties. It's much pricier than the CityBug, however, carrying a price tag of R426 314,52. But let's get back to the more affordable CityBug.
How big is the Eleksa CityBug?
The CityBug is a two-door, four-seater urban EV that is mostly aimed at the short-distance delivery market.
It's a tiny little thing at 2.96m long and 1.48m wide. It tips the scales at a lithe 450 kilograms, with a miniscule battery pack of 9kWh.
(To put things into perspective, the battery in the Volvo C40 is 78kWh provides an electric range of about 400 km.)
As we've mentioned - we don't foresee the CityBug being used for personal mobility - but rather in the same way as the Bajaj Qute - as short-distance delivery vehicles and/or 'last mile transportation'.
Just for fun, we drew a table highlighting the similarities and differences between the Eleksa CityBug and Bajaj Qute:
| Features | Eleksa CityBug | Bajaj Qute |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | R230,000
|
R75,000
|
| Type of Car | Electric Car
|
Petrol Car
|
| Driving Range | 100km
|
200km
|
| Top Speed | 60km/h
|
70km/h
|
How powerful is the Eleksa CityBug?
Not at all powerful, so don't expect performance that can rival any of our entry-level ICE (internal combustion engine) cars, like the Suzuki S-Presso, Celerio, or Toyota Vitz. It's only real ICE rival is the similarly sized Bajaj Qute, which we have actually tried and tested here.
The CityBug stems from Wuling parent company SAIC partnering up with General Motors, and is powered by six 12-volt batteries that produce a combined four kilowatts. It has a top speed of 60 km/h.
The CityBug rides on an independent MacPherson strut suspension at the front and a trailing arm axle suspension at the back, front disc brakes and drums at the rear, and 13-inch alloy wheels with 155/65 rubber.
What range does the Eleksa CityBug have?
The CityBug, as is, has an estimated range of 100 km, but you have the option of upgrading to more batteries (which will mean a longer range of up to 200 km), or having a small generator installed which turns the CityBug into a petrol-electric hybrid that can be topped up with fuel.
Eleksa says the CityBug has a 300 kg load-carrying capacity, but once a heavy parcel is on board, or more people, the range will decrease.
Do you need a special wall-box for charging the CityBug?
Nope, just plug it into your regular 220V wall socket at home - but charging is a timeous affair and you'll need about 6 hours for a full charge.
How much does the Eleksa CityBug cost to charge?
A full charge is estimated to cost about R15 bucks.
What features can be found inside the CityBug?
The interior is clad in artificial leather with contrast stitching. Pricing includes air-conditioning, a sound system, USB ports, central locking, a rear-view camera, electric windows, a digital instrument cluster, Bluetooth connectivity, Google Maps navigation, an Android tablet infotainment system, and an emergency cut-off switch, according to Eleksa's Facebook page.
Alternatives to the CityBug? Meet the EVA City Blitz
EV.Africa (EVA) offers a newer, similar 'car' by the name of the City Blitz (from R200 000), with a slightly (longer than 100km) range. The City Blitz (2.2m long and 1.2m wide) is available as a four-seater passenger vehicle, a two-seater pickup, and a 2-seater van. The City Blitz is equipped with a 'maintenance free' 10 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery that powers a 7.5 kW motor. It has a top speed of 80 km/h and an estimated range of up to 150 km on a single charge, which also takes around six hours to charge fully - but we haven't yet pitted these two contenders against each other - watch this space!
What does R200 000 buy you these days if you're looking for a 'normal' car?
If you're buying new, you're looking at cars like the Suzuki S-Presso (from R169 900), the Toyota Vitz (R189 900), the Suzuki Celerio (R183 900), and Hyundai Grand i10 (R229 900). These can all be driven on the highway, are cheap to run, and are much safer.
Looking for a pre-loved cheapie? Take a look at these used cars that cost no more than R100 000 (with under 100 000 km on the odometer).
