Motoring4.11.2024

Most affordable used electric cars in South Africa

By Myles Illidge

Chinese brands GWM and BYD have shaken up the electric vehicle (EV) market in South Africa, giving motorists in the country a lower barrier for entry to electric mobility.

This is especially true for pre-owned vehicles, as relatively new, low-mileage units sell for similar or slightly higher prices to models from prominent brands like Mini and BMW that are much older and have far higher mileage.

BYD launched the Dolphin and Atto 3 locally in 2024, while GWM brought its Ora 300 EV to South Africa in late 2023.

However, the trend of Chinese car brands disrupting the South African market also applied to petrol-powered cars, with brands like GWM (or Haval) and Chery frequently featuring in the top ten best-selling brands in the country.

Many South Africans have been reluctant to commit to Chinese-made vehicles. However, they generally offer high value for money, are heavily equipped with tech features, and compete well in the affordable car segment.

While many South Africans have been tentative about buying Chinese-made vehicles, they typically offer high value for money, are well-equipped with tech, and compete well in the affordable car segment.

The market for Chinese vehicles generally appears to be proliferating in South Africa.

MyBroadband scoured online second-hand car marketplaces to find the most affordable pre-owned EVs you can buy in the country.

We set specific criteria, such as including only one specification for each model and not including models older than five years.

For each car, we found the five most affordable options across various vehicle classifieds platforms to work out average pricing, mileage, and year ranges.

Older-generation Mini Cooper Hatch SEs are still very prominent on pre-owned vehicle websites like AutoTrader and Cars.co.za. It is the most affordable EV model we found on these platforms.

Of the five most affordable pre-owned Mini Cooper Hatch SEs, the average price was R420,160 for models registered in 2020 and 2021. They had an average range of 66,200km.

The 2020–2021 model Mini Cooper Hatch SE has a battery capacity of 32.6kWh and can travel a claimed 230km on a single charge.

The BYD Dolphin is the next most affordable second-hand EV in South Africa, with the five cheapest “Standard” models averaging R498,817.

All of the cars were registered in 2024, and their average mileage is just over 1,500km. The BYD Dolphin Standard has a 44.9kWh battery and a claimed range of 310km.

The BMW was once the most affordable EV in South Africa. However, the carmaker is no longer selling it, having halted production of the i3 in July 2022.

The five cheapest options we found were registered in 2019 or 2020, with an average price tag of R543,440 and an average mileage of 52,156km.

According to BMW’s specs, the EV has a 42.2kWh that can achieve a claimed range of 260km.

The five most affordable GWM Ora 300s we found were all registered this year and have an average price tag of R545,810. They all have fairly low mileage, with the average mileage for the five vehicles being around 4,230km.

The GWM Ora 300’s 48kWh battery can achieve a claimed range of 310km on a single charge.

The BYD Atto 3 Standard has the highest claimed range of the five most affordable second-hand EV models in the country at 345km, thanks to its 50.1kWh battery.

The five cheapest BYD Atto 3 Standards have an average price of R699,819 and an average mileage of 2,704km. All of the cars were registered in 2024.

The five most affordable used EV models in South Africa are listed below, with average pricing and mileage for the five cheapest options for each model available online.