Which electric car is best in South Africa?
As the shift continues towards electrification of our mobility solutions, electric cars are becoming more prevalent. They offer lower running costs and greener operation and have already proven to be financially rewarding in the long run. We look at the best electric vehicles over several different categories.
Quantifying what is the best is a rather complex task. There needs to be a set of parameters by which a set of candidates are measured before one can ascertain which of those specimens is the best. This makes figuring out which electric car is best in South Africa a little tricky. But fear not, because we can help answer that question by breaking down the current range of electric vehicles (EVs) that are on sale in South Africa.
Related: How suitable are electric cars to South African conditions?
While electric car refers to the form of propulsion, EVs come in a variety of shapes and sizes to cater for customers with different needs and desires. The entire market is on a shift to green energy vehicles and don't be surprised to see your favourite brand introducing hybrid (electric and petrol/diesel) or full-electric models in the coming years.
If you're already on board though and you're looking for a little guidance, here's our list of the best electric cars in South Africa.
1. Cheapest EV in SA
Electric vehicles are still a relatively new technology in their current form. This means that they are still more expensive than they possibly could be. This fact is compounded by the higher tax levied on the importation of electric vehicles in South Africa. This has placed most electric cars out of the reach of many South Africans but there's a little hope in the form of the MINI SE, which is South Africa's cheapest electric car.
The MINI SE is based on the popular MINI hatch body shape and uses a 32.64 kWh battery to give you a range of 215 km - more than enough for a few days to and from the office. It produces 135 kW and 270 Nm to make sure that you not only stick with traffic but also whizz by it. 2.5 hours of 11 kW AC charging will see you gain 100 km of range and if you choose a DC charger, that time drops to 23 minutes.
The MINI SE costs R742 102.
2. Most Expensive EV in SA
Switching from the cheapest to the most expensive electric car in South Africa, that accolade goes to the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. This mean machine will set you back a cool R4 137 000 before options.
You get a lot of car for your money though and the Taycan Turbo S will get your heart racing with 560 kW and a stupendous 1050 Nm torque. You will get a claimed 412 km range from the Taycan Turbo S if you behave yourself but that should be more than ample to allow you to flex as you roll up to your next event.
3. Fastest EV in SA
Speed and performance are often used as a way to determine what is best when it comes to cars, after all, that's why motorsports exist! If you're looking for the fastest EV on sale in South Africa at the moment, you're going to go back to point number 2 as it's the Porsche Taycan Turbo S again.
The Taycan Turbo S will rocket from 0 to 100 km/h in only 2.8-seconds and go on to a limited top speed of 260 km/h. While this may not sound like much, top speeds are one of the limited factors in electric cars and trust us, 260 km/h is more than enough!
4. EV with the longest range
We go from a luxurious sports car to a luxurious sedan for this next one. Range anxiety is a real thing and most of the electrification detractors will cry about the limited ranges and how their petrol or diesel counterparts fare much better in terms of range. If you want to make sure that you have enough electric range for long distances, then you're going to have to go with the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ sedan.
This stately, 4-door sedan has one of the largest batteries available locally at the moment and will offer you a range of up to 782 km off of a single charge. This means that you could comfortably cruise about, to and from the office or gym and only have to charge it twice a month.
5. Best all-rounder EV in SA
We've given you the cheapest, the most expensive, the fastest and the EV with the best range, but what if we were to combine them into a package that suits the average consumer? With multiple options to choose from, it wasn't easy but one of the most agreeable EVs that we've tested that manages to be practical, affordable and offers a respectable range is the Volvo XC40 P6 Recharge Plus.
This compact SUV is on the cheaper end of the spectrum, costing only R1 075 000 and will give you a claimed range of 423 km. It produces 170 kW and 330 Nm torque which makes it exciting to drive while retaining the compact proportions and size of the regular, internal combustion XC40 range. We think this strikes a great blend of affordability and convenience, in a package that is attractive and easy to use.
