South Africa’s first electric 4×4 enters production

South African firm Thula Solutions has started production of its electric safari viewer (ESV), which it said offers more immersive game drives than conventional petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.

The company recently announced that it chose Hi-Tech Automotive in Port Elizabeth to produce the ESV.

The 25-year-old Hi-Tech specialises in restoring and manufacturing licenced replicas of classic American cars like the 1967 Shelby GT500.

Thula said the company’s legacy of producing expertly engineered and assembled vehicles made it the ideal partner for achieving its ESV vision.

“This collaboration ensures that our ESV will be crafted with the same dedication to quality and attention to detail, delivering an unparalleled game drive experience,” Thula said.

Thula began research and design on its ESV eight years ago.

It initially pulled retrofitted diesel-powered game-viewers with battery-electric powertrains but later began development on a dedicated all-electric platform.

In early 2022, Thula provide a first public glimpse of this product with a prototype built in partnership with Brandt BRV.

It opened reservations for the vehicle and received 248 “quasi-orders” for the ESV by July 2023 through its website.

At that point, Thula founder and CEO Gary Davies told MyBroadband that the company had met with all the top tourist groups with upmarket lodges — including andBeyond, the More Group, and Singita — and all of them were very interested in the product.

“I’m absolutely convinced that there won’t be a top lodge or anybody that enjoys the bush that won’t be going on an electric vehicle in the next three to five years,” Davies said.

“Whether they are interested in our product or not, all of them say ‘we need to go electric’.”

The production version of the Thula ESV will officially be unveiled to the public in mid-December 2024.

The base build is expected to sport a design similar to the model below.

Benefits of electric safaris

The vehicle uses two motors providing 150kW combined output in a four-wheel drive configuration.

It can drive up to 225km on a single charge of its 60kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery.

That is more than sufficient for covering the typical 75km daily game drive distances.

Over a month, covering this distance in a typical diesel-powered game viewer would cost about R5,400 at R20 per litre with an efficiency of 12 litres per 100km.

At current electricity prices, the energy needed to cover the same distance will cost less than half that.

Game drives are best during the early mornings, late afternoons, and early evenings.

Therefore, the vehicle can be easily charged in the middle of the day, when it is parked at a camp or lodge.

If the facility has solar power, as many high-end lodges do, they can reduce the running cost even more by charging up the ESV’s batteries with their system.

However, the biggest appeal of the ESV is that it runs far quieter than a petrol or diesel vehicle, like all regular passenger electric vehicles (EVs).

Without the rumbling of an engine, the driver and tourists can more clearly hear the sounds of the bush, including birds and insects.

There are also no petrol or diesel fumes that could disturb animals close to the road.

This makes for a far more immersive game-viewing experience, as MyBroadband established when we took an all-electric BMW iX3 to the Kruger National Park last year.

Below are the key specifications of the Thula ESV.

Add-ons and pricing

Optional add-ons for the vehicle include a fridge, sundowner chairs and table, heated seats, a built-in coffee machine, and a tracker seat.

While Thula has not disclosed a buying price for the vehicle, it does list prices for rentals.

This option is available to those customers who first want to test out the product.

Rentals start at R29,610 per month on a 60-month contract, with a 7% annual escalation.

If a customer does not find the vehicle performed according to requirements, the rental can be terminated.

Thula takes full responsibility for maintenance and software updates, which it can deliver remotely.

In addition to the ESV, Thula has also developed an electric boat powertrain, which is already being used at the Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana.

The system’s battery is connected to solar panels on the boat’s roof, enabling it to charge up without plugging into an electrical connection.

One of the boats used by the lodge has been operating for over two months using only solar power from its roof.