South Africa’s top-selling used electric cars
South Africa’s top-selling used electric vehicles (EVs) in the first half of 2023 were the BMW i3, Mini Cooper SE, and Volvo XC40 Recharge, according to AutoTrader’s Mid-Year Car Industry Report.
For the first time, the automotive classifieds website — one of the biggest in South Africa — has added a section dedicated to used EV car sales in its bi-annual report.
It previously only covered the most-listed and most in-demand EV models on its platform.
AutoTrader said the first six months of 2023 saw the new and used EV segment experiencing a 106% and 108% increase in EV sales, respectively.
“The year witnessed a significant rise in the adoption of electric vehicles, driven by government interest and discussions of incentives as well as growing awareness of sustainability,” AutoTrader stated.
“Automakers expanded their EV offerings, and the charging infrastructure network improved, encouraging consumers to embrace greener transportation options.”
During the first six months of 2023, the BMW i3 led the used EV sales pack — with 34 units sold through AutoTrader — accounting for 26% of the 131 sales in this segment.
First launched in South Africa in 2015, the i3 was the longest and best-selling EV in the country for several years before its discontinuation at the start of 2022.
BMW i3
The Mini Cooper SE racked up the second-highest number of used EV sales — 20 — just edging out Volvo’s XC40 Recharge with 19 sales.
The electrified Mini was first launched in South Africa in late 2020 and was the most affordable EV in the country before the debut of the GWM Ora Cat.
It currently retails for R783,500 when brought brand new but sold at an average price of R641,150 on AutoTrader in the first half of the year.
Despite having a newer average model year and significantly lower mileage than the average i3 sold through AutoTrader, this price was only about R40,000 more than the i3.
Mini Cooper SE
The R1.18 million average selling price of the 19 XC40 electric cars sold also suggested Volvo’s compact SUV retained its value quite well.
In 2022, the entry-level P6 Recharge variant carried a price tag of R1.075 million, while the P8 Recharge cost R1.2 million.
Volvo Cars South Africa managing director Greg Maruszewski told MyBroadband that the entire XC40 nameplate held a residual value for the 2022 registration year of 86%.
“This is largely driven by the generous levels of standard equipment, which in turn helps to boost the vehicle’s value come resale time,” Greg Maruszewski said.
Unfortunately, AutoTrader does not break down how many of each electric variant was sold, so it is impossible to know which version was more popular.
The P6 and P8 Recharge were recently superseded by the Recharge Single Motor and Recharge Twin Motor.
Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge
AutoTrader also published top 10 lists for the most viewed and most listed EVs on its platform.
However, the most-viewed models do not appear to indicate demand that converts into sales.
The top-selling model — the BMW i3 — only placed fifth in this ranking, while the Mini Cooper SE only drew the ninth-highest views, and the XC40 Recharge tallied the eighth-highest number.
It was the more expensive and flashy models that attracted most users’ attention — the BMW iX, Audi e-tron, and Porsche Taycan.
Out of 15 EV models listed on AutoTrader during the first half of 2023, the iX was also the most listed EV, followed by the i3 and the XC40 Recharge.
The tables below show the most sold, most viewed, and most listed electric cars on AutoTrader in the first six months of 2023.
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