It has been a long-standing argument that more South African consumers would migrate to battery electric vehicles (EVs) once more affordable options become available – most notably under the R400 000-mark.

The last few months have seen the arrival of a number of Chinese EVs under, or close to, that price point, with more to come.

However, will vehicles under this seemingly magic price point really sway local buyers to finally swap their internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles for EVs, perhaps egged on by surging fuel prices owing to the Iran-US conflict?

According to naamsa | The Automotive Business Council, domestic 2025 EV sales declined to 1 088 units last year, down 13.4% from the 1 257 units registered in 2024.

This number, however, excluded Chinese brands BYD, Geely and Dongfeng, which did not report their sales to the industry body last year.

Geely and Dongfeng still do not report sales, but BYD Auto – a rising EV star – in March started to lodge their sales numbers with naamsa, providing a new picture of actual EV sales in the domestic market.

In total, says naamsa, 389 EVs were sold in South Africa in March, which is a new monthly record for local full-electric sales, with BYD the clear leader at 316 fully electric car sales. (Again, it is important to remember that a number of Chinese brands still do not report their sales to naamsa.)

For a number of years, before the arrival of EV competition from China, Mini was South Africa’s cheapest mainstream EV brand.

Mini’s current best offer in terms of sticker price is the Aceman, at R800 000, and with 400 km range.

Traditionally, the South African EV market leaders in volume terms have been Volvo and Mini.

The Volvo EX30 was then also the country’s top-selling new EV in 2024 and 2025, but again with the proviso that the data excluded BYD.

BYD’s cheapest EV offering is the Dolphin Surf – a Car of the Year 2026 finalist – with an asking price starting from R341 900.

The Dolphin Surf, which launched in South Africa in September last year, was the most affordable EV in South Africa until a few weeks ago, and sold 239 units in March alone.

The Surf delivers a driving range of up to 295 km on a single charge, with fast charging from 30% to 80% in 30 minutes.

This title of cheapest EV has now been taken over by the Geely E2, which made its local debut this month.

It promises a driving range of up to 325 km, with fast charging from 30% to 80% in roughly 25 minutes.

Pricing starts at R339 900.

Yet another Chinese rival, Dongfeng, offers its Dongfeng Box E1 330 EV with a starting price of R459 000, with a claimed range of up to 430 km.

Dongfeng, however, has a very limited number of dealers in South Africa.

Last week, it was announced that a fourth Chinese rival will soon tackle the affordable EV market in South Africa.

Comeback champion Chery says it will introduce the all-new electric Q compact model in South Africa later this year.

The car maker says it will showcase the electric Q – launched as the QQ elsewhere – at Auto China 2026 to be held in Beijing later this month.

“The Q forms part of Chery’s expanding line-up and is set to be offered in South Africa later this year as an accessible entry into electric mobility,” says Chery South Africa.

“As a fully electric vehicle, the Q also reflects Chery’s growing focus on electrification in South Africa, offering customers an accessible entry point into new-energy vehicles.”

Chery’s announcement means that there may soon be three new EV models priced under R400 000 in the local market, which is a significant shift in a market dominated by expensive, premium EVs until very recently.

BYD’s March sales numbers proved there is appetite for cheaper EVs in South Africa. The question, however, is how much of that appetite will remain once tensions in the Middle East, and fuel prices along with it, start to ease.