New energy vehicle (NEV) sales have gained momentum with the growth of South Africa’s electric vehicle market. Over the past six years NEV sales have grown from just a few hundred (407) vehicles in 2019 to more than 16,000 in 2025. NEVs include electric vehicles as well as traditional and plug-in hybrids. In total 46,430 were sold between 2019 and 2025.

While South African consumers have shown growing interest in EVs, drawn by lower running costs and rising petrol prices, the upfront purchase price remains the biggest obstacle.

For most major manufacturers, switching from petrol to electric still comes at a steep premium. BMW’s cheapest electric costs R1.2-million against R713,000 for its cheapest ICE (internal combustion engine) model – a gap of nearly R500,000. Mercedes-Benz and Mini Cooper show similar spreads. The outlier is Volvo, where the gap has narrowed to just R41,000.

Chinese EV-only entrants to the local market, like Geely, BYD and Dayun – with models starting below R400,000 – may be the ones to finally shift the balance towards electric cars.