{"id":644288,"date":"2026-05-01T13:09:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T11:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=644288"},"modified":"2026-05-01T13:11:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T11:11:55","slug":"self-charging-hybrid-sales-start-to-stumble-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/motoring\/644288-self-charging-hybrid-sales-start-to-stumble-in-south-africa.html","title":{"rendered":"Self-charging hybrid sales start to stumble in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New vehicle sales in 2025 and early 2026 in South Africa suggest the allure of traditional or closed-loop hybrids is starting to wear off among local car buyers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often referred to as “self-charging” hybrids in manufacturers’ marketing, these vehicles are the oldest and most popular type that feature high-voltage batteries for propulsion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pioneered by the world’s top carmaker \u2014 Toyota \u2014 hybrids typically have a high-voltage battery with a capacity under two kilowatt-hours (2kWh).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While not sufficient for long-distance driving, the pack can power the car on its own at low speeds in urban travel or keep ancillary systems like the air conditioning running without turning on the engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can also supplement the power of the internal combustion engine or take over when cruising at high speeds on relatively flat terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike a fully electric car, these vehicles do not require any changes in habits. All battery charging is done internally, using additional power from the engine and regenerative braking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result is better fuel efficiency, especially in urban environments where slower driving and braking enable the use of more electric power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hybrids first began gaining real traction in South Africa in 2022, following the launch of the hybrid version of Toyota’s Corolla Cross compact SUV in November 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a launch price tag of R413,000, it was substantially more affordable than other hybrids on the market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was also the first to be built in South Africa and sold locally, whereas locally-made hybrids from other manufacturers were solely for export.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its impact was immediate. In the first quarter of 2022, Naamsa recorded 1,253 hybrid sales, compared to just 32 in the same period a year earlier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the entire year, hybrid sales reached 4,694 units, up from 896 in 2021. Over the next three years, the range of hybrids expanded with well-priced models from Chinese brands like Haval and Chery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Annual downturn continues into early 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
GWM Haval H6 HEV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By 2023, new hybrid sales had climbed to 6,487 units. That more than doubled to 13,616 sales in 2024. However, in 2025, the figure dropped to 12,818.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), the decline has continued into 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2,764 hybrids were sold locally in the first three months of 2026, compared to 2,970 over the same period in 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the first time since 2022 that the first-quarter sales of hybrids in South Africa have declined from the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also comes after the full-year sales figures in 2025 showed the first annual decline in hybrid sales in South Africa since 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Period<\/th>Hybrids<\/th>Plug-in hybrids<\/th>Fully-electric<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Q1 2021 <\/td>32<\/td>13<\/td>46<\/td><\/tr>
Q1 2022 <\/td>1,253<\/td>36<\/td>112<\/td><\/tr>
Q1 2023 <\/td>1,421<\/td>25<\/td>232<\/td><\/tr>
Q1 2024 <\/td>2,587<\/td>141<\/td>330<\/td><\/tr>
Q1 2025 <\/td>2,970<\/td>241<\/td>276<\/td><\/tr>
Q1 2026<\/td>2,764<\/td>1,277<\/td>544<\/td><\/tr>
Last year change<\/td>-7%<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>+430%<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>+97%<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Overall change<\/td>+8,538%<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>+9,723%<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>+1,038%<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hybrids more expensive while plug-in models get cheaper<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The Geely E2, South Africa’s most affordable electric car<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As shown in the table above, sales of plug-in battery-powered vehicles have begun to grow substantially after lagging far behind traditional hybrids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One factor potentially influencing this trend is pricing. Plug-in hybrids and fully-electric cars have become substantially more affordable in South Africa since 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most affordable PHEV in South Africa in 2026 is the BYD Sealion 5, which starts at R509,900. Several more are available under R700,000, and there are about a dozen options for under R1 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, only luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo offered PHEV models, with prices above R1 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most affordable fully-electric car in the country that year was the Mini Cooper SE, which was priced at R686,400.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cheapest EVs in 2026 \u2014 the Geely E2 and BYD Dolphin Surf \u2014 both cost around R340,000. Two more options are priced under R500,000 \u2014 the Dongfeng Box and Dongfeng Vigo 06. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the range of conventional hybrids has expanded, the price of an entry-level hybrid is higher in 2026 than in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most affordable model in April 2026 is the Chery Tiggo Cross 1.5 CHS Hybrid, which starts at R439,900 \u2014 R26,900 more than the Corolla Cross hybrid cost at launch in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entry-level Corolla Cross Hybrid’s price has increased to R501,100, 21% above its launch price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another factor could be that conventional closed-loop hybrid technology has matured to a point where little innovation is happening, and manufacturers are focusing more on plug-in models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While hybrids have only recently become popular in South Africa, these cars have been mainstream in developed markets for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their main selling point \u2014 lower running costs thanks to better fuel efficiency \u2014 has also been numbed by budget petrol-only models with similar consumption for under R250,000. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New local vehicle sales in 2025 and early 2026 suggest the allure of traditional or closed-loop hybrids is starting to wear off among local car buyers. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341042,"featured_media":589264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29366],"tags":[36370,67290,87785,82633,87493,98107,73682,83161],"class_list":["post-644288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motoring","tag-car-sales","tag-electric-vehicles-evs","tag-hybrids","tag-national-association-of-automobile-manufacturers-of-south-africa-naamsa","tag-new-energy-vehicles-nevs","tag-plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicles-phevs","tag-toyota-corolla-cross-hybrid","tag-traditional-hybrids"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644288"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341042"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=644288"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":644411,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644288\/revisions\/644411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/589264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=644288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=644288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=644288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}