Audi vs Mercedes vs BMW

Fully electric and hybrid vehicles are becoming more popular in South Africa, with sales on the rise, albeit from a small base, and as new models are brought into the country as has been the case to date in 2022.

Recent data from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) reported that despite an increase in sales, the uptake domestically has been slow.

As its stands over the initial half of this year, 205 fully electric vehicles have been sold. This figure will push beyond the total of 218 fully electric vehicles sold in 2021.

Major car brands have entered the South African market with fully electric vehicles (EVs) despite charging stations being few and far between. Brands known for their luxury and hefty price tags, including Mercedes, Audi and BMW, have all released new EVs this year.

Naamsa’s data shows that for the first half of 2022, a total of 2,139 new electric vehicles (NEVs) have been sold compared to the 896 during the full year of 2021.

The government has prioritised the development and expansion of the electric vehicle market in South Africa. In May 2021, a green paper on the advancement of NEVs in South Africa was released by the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition.

“The green paper highlighted that the NEV challenge in South Africa is two-dimensional, encompassing both demand and supply side considerations and that it is an inevitable transition for the South African automotive industry, as it will be the future driving technology adopted by the global automotive industry,” said Naamsa.

BusinessTech looked at some of the available EV options offered  by the top luxury German carmakers in South Africa:

BMW

i4 M50

• Price: R1,600,000
• Power: 400kW
• Torque: 795Nm
• Range: 521km electric range

iX3 

• Price: Starting at R1,290,000
• Power: 210kW
• Torque: 400Nm
• Range: 461km electric range

 iX xDrive40

• Price: R1,650,000
• Power: 240kW
• Torque: 630Nm
• Range: 150km electric range

Mercedes

EQA

• Price: From R1,169,500
• Power: 140kW
• Torque: 375Nm
• Range: 429km electric range

EQB

• Price: From R1,374,500
• Power: 215kW
• Torque: 520Nm
• Range: 423km electric range

EQC

• Price: From R1,679,000
• Power: 300kW
• Torque: 760Nm
• Range: 471km electric range

EQS

• Price: From R2,615,100
• Power: up to 484kW in AMG configuration
• Torque: up to 950Nm in AMG configuration
• Range: Between 586km and 782km electric range

Audi

E-tron 55 Quattro

• Price: From R1,990,000
• Power: 300 kW
• Torque: 664 Nm
• Range: 440km electric range

E-tron Sportback 

• Price: From R2,115,000
• Power: 300kW
• Torque: 540Nm
• Range: 452km electric range

E-tron GT Quattro

• Price: From R2,715,000
• Power: 390kW
• Torque: 340Nm
• Range: 488km electric range

Read: Good news for new car buyers in South Africa