Motoring21.01.2025

Electric cars for under R500,000 in South Africa

There are six electric vehicle (EV) models available for under R500,000 in South Africa in January 2025.

South Africa’s new EV sales continued to climb in 2024. 1,179 new fully-electric cars were sold in the first 11 months of the year, compared to 929 in the entire 2023.

However, the figure pales in comparison to the overall new car market in South Africa, which recorded over 470,000 sales during the same period.

Although concerns over energy security and driving range have become less of an issue for some buyers, the high prices of EVs continue to be a major inhibitor to adoption.

While a comparison of EVs and similarly-priced petrol cars will often show the former has far more power, faster acceleration, and better tech features, many car buyers are more concerned with practicality.

On those fronts, EVs can fall short of the specifications of petrol cars competing in the same price segments — particularly when it comes to interior space.

That said, EVs have become substantially more affordable in recent years, especially if one considers the used market.

MyBroadband perused listings of new and used EVs on two prominent online vehicle classifieds websites — AutoTrader South Africa and Cars.co.za — to see what EV options were available to buyers with a budget of R500,000.

AutoTrader SA had 36 sub-R500,000 EV listings and Cars.co.za a more modest 27 at the time of publication.

Both new and used, the most affordable was the EV Africa City Blitz, which is a rebranded Jiayuan Eidola, priced from R229,900 used with 150km on the clock or R239,900 new.

This ultra-compact 2-door, 4-seater is only recommended as a strict urban runaround, with a measly 7.5kW peak output and a claimed range of 160km.

Its top speed of 80km/h makes it unsuitable for use on South African highways, which have maximum legal speeds of 120km/h.

The second most affordable option was a used 2015 BMW i3, priced from R279,900.

While this model is far more capable, it had 136,000km on the clock, so some wear and tear should be expected.

We also found several Mini Cooper SE models selling for under R500,000, the cheapest being a 2020 model with a 97,000km odometer reading at R323,900.

We were particularly surprised with the big depreciation on a 2024 GWM Ora 300 Super Luxury with 17,500km on the clock.

Its asking price was R207,050 — 30% less than when bought new for R686,900.

Below we have listed the six EVs you can buy in South Africa for under R500,000 in January 2025.

EV Africa City Blitz / Jiayuan Eidola — From R229,900 used and R239,900 new

  • Power/torque: 7.5kW output, torque not specified
  • 0–100km/h acceleration: Not specified
  • Top speed: 80km/h
  • Battery size: 10kWh
  • Claimed range: Up to 160km (not WLTP tested)
  • Charging speeds: 2.3kW AC
  • Vehicle-to-load support: No
  • Lowest mileage used model: 150km (R229,900)

BMW i3 — From R279,900 used (2015: 68,862km)

  • Power/torque: 125kW/249Nm (2015)
  • 0–100km/h acceleration: 7 seconds
  • Top speed: 150km/h
  • Battery size: 22kWh
  • WLTP range: Up to 130km (2015 model)
  • Charging speeds: 11kW AC or 50kW DC (optional)
  • Vehicle-to-load support: No
  • Lowest mileage used model: 57,000km (2014: R299,899)

Mini Cooper SE — From R323,900 used (2020: 97,000km)

  • Power/torque: 135kW/270Nm
  • 0–100km/h acceleration: 7.3 seconds
  • Top speed: 150km/h
  • Battery size: 28.9kWh
  • WLTP range: Up to 234km
  • Charging speeds: 11kW AC or 49kW DC
  • Vehicle-to-load support: No
  • Lowest mileage used model: R439,000 (2022: 24,000km)

Dayun Yeuhu S5 — From R399,900 new

  • Power/torque: 35kW
  • 0–100km/h acceleration: Unspecified
  • Top speed: 100km/h
  • Battery size: 30.7kWh
  • Claimed range: Up to 160km (not WLTP tested)
  • Charging speeds: 11kW AC and DC
  • Vehicle-to-load support: No

GWM Ora 03 — From R479,800 used (2024: 17,500km)

  • Power/torque: 126kW/250nm
  • 0–100km/h acceleration: 8.2 seconds
  • Top speed: 160km/h
  • Battery size: 44.9kWh
  • WLTP range: Up to 310km (300 Super Luxury)
  • Charging speeds: 11kW AC, 67kW DC
  • Vehicle-to-load support: No
  • Lowest mileage used model: R479,800 (2024: 17,500km)

BYD Dolphin — From R499,790 used (2024: 2,250km)

  • Power/torque: 70kW/180Nm (Standard Range)
  • 0–100km/h acceleration: 12.3 seconds (Standard Range)
  • Top speed: 160km/h
  • Battery size: 44.9kWh
  • WLTP range: Up to 340km (Standard Range)
  • Charging speeds: 7.4kW AC, 60kW DC (Standard Range)
  • Vehicle-to-load support: Yes, up to 3.3kW
  • Lowest mileage used model: 200km (R499,799)
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