Can The New Wave Of BEV & PHEV Pickups Improve EV Gross Gross sales In South Africa?

Pickups are a large deal in South Africa. The Toyota Hilux, the Ford Ranger, and the Isuzu D-Max usually operate prominently on the prime of South Africa’s vehicle product sales charts. The Toyota Hilux usually tops the annual product sales charts. The Hilux was prime of the charts as soon as extra in June 2025. The product sales numbers for June 2025 are in and there have been 3,035 Hiluxes purchased in South Africa remaining month. These had been adopted by 2,318 Ford Rangers, 2,132 Toyota Corolla Crosses, 1,962 VW Polo Vivos, and 1,678 Isuzu D-Maxes.

To 5 Best Selling Autos In South Africa, June 2026

As you might even see from the desk above, three out of the very best 5 most interesting selling cars in South Africa are pickups. Mainly over 99% of cars purchased in South Africa are nonetheless inside combustion cars. 515,712 cars had been purchased in South Africa in 2024. Just one,257 BEVs had been purchased in South Africa, up 35% from 929 fashions purchased in 2023. That means BEVs solely had a market share of 0.24%. That’s nonetheless very low! With solely 3,212 BEVs purchased since 2018, it’s clear to see that product sales of BEVs have been sluggish in South Africa as compared with associated auto markets across the globe. That’s because of restricted variety of BEV fashions throughout the nation, coupled with extreme import duties and taxes levied on electrical cars. 

Making an attempt on the PHEV market in South Africa, 737 PHEVs had been purchased in 2024, up 100% from 368 fashions purchased in 2023. Nonetheless, PHEVs solely made up 0.14% of entire vehicle product sales in South Africa in 2024. There weren’t any BEV of PHEV pickups on the market remaining yr in South Africa, one of many essential well-liked vehicle segments. That has modified or is altering now in 2025, so will the model new differ of BEVs and PHEVs out now plus these coming shortly to South Africa shake up the South African pickup market, and in the long run all of the market? Let’s try among the many BEVs and PHEVs throughout the South African market along with a listing of the favored pickups which could be presently on the market in South Africa.

This guidelines tries to map cars with associated specs (power/torque and plenty of others.) to see which ICE pickups within the market are sort of fastidiously related to the upcoming BEV and PHEV pickups which have each been launched or confirmed for South Africa. The BEV and PHEV pickup fashions listed beneath are double-cab selections which had been confirmed for South Africa, and on account of this reality the guidelines leaves out single-cab ICE pickup selections. Single-cab ICE pickups contribute significantly to annual vehicle product sales in South Africa. Hopefully throughout the near future we’re in a position to moreover get single-cab BEV and PHEV pickup selections in South Africa.

File of BEV and PHEV pickups confirmed for South Africa along with a listing of comparable, well-liked ICE pickups

So, South Africans this yr might have an sincere pool of BEV and PHEV pickups to pick from. Will this help improve EV product sales in South Africa? Almost definitely. Let’s try a similar market, Australia, to get a very really feel for the way in which it’s evolving Down Beneath and the way in which this may increasingly very properly be associated to what’s to return again in South Africa. An identical to in South Africa, Australians love pickups. Pickups are commonly known as “utes” in Australia, and the identical previous suspects shine there as correctly. These are the Toyota Hilux, the Ford Ranger, and the Isuzu D-Max. Merely over half 1,000,000 cars are purchased in South Africa yearly, and about 1 million in Australia yearly, so the Aussie market is about double the South African market.

The PHEV BYD Shark 06 pickup has already landed with a bang in Australia, and in June it was the fifth most interesting selling vehicle in Australia, serving to to propel BYD to fifth most interesting selling auto mannequin in Australia. The BYD Shark 06 is already on sale in South Africa. Sadly, BYD South South Africa doesn’t report its product sales figures, so we have no idea how correctly or how badly BYD’s fashions are performing in South Africa. Come on, BYD, do the very best issue and start reporting product sales figures like everyone else does!

Value intelligent, the Shark is priced from R959,900, making it very aggressive with equal ICE pickups within the market. One different mannequin that has seen its ICE vehicle product sales and mannequin develop in South Africa is Good Wall Motors (GWM). The approaching launch of the P500 PHEV pickup with its 110 km electrical differ ought to help improve PHEV product sales in South Africa. The car is already getting rave evaluations in Australia, the place it’s referred to as the Cannon Alpha.

Now to some thrilling full BEVs: Geely is bringing the Geely Riddara BEV pickup differ to South Africa in collaboration with Enviro Automotive. The lineup accommodates the top-of-the-range dual-motor variant powered by an 86 kWh battery pack paired with electrical motors, giving a blended 315 kW of power. This “Extraordinarily” mannequin will get an 86 kWh battery and affords a wide range of as a lot as 455 km (NEDC). The dual-motor setup throughout the all-wheel drive fashions of the Geely Riddara RD6 affords 315 kW of power and 595 Nm of torque. All of that’s good for a 0–100 km/h time of spherical 4.5 seconds in keeping with the spec sheet. The RD6 has a frunk which will preserve 70L. The first mattress has a 1,200L functionality. Tow functionality is listed as 3,000 kg. The RD6 helps as a lot as 11 kW AC charging. It has a lot of power retailers to help vehicle-to-load performance (6 kW), which is a cool operate that principally ought to return customary in modern-day EVs. Pricing is simply not however on the market, nevertheless estimates differ from R900,000 to solely over R1,000,000, which makes them aggressive with equal ICE pickups within the market.

The 63 kWh rear-wheel drive and the 73 kWh all-wheel drive variations may even be on the market throughout the South African market shortly. The 63 kWh rear-wheel drive mannequin has an LFP battery pack providing a wide range of 377 km (NEDC). It has a single, rear-mounted electrical motor (max 200 kW and 384 Nm of torque). The all-wheel drive mannequin has two variants, along with the “Skilled” mannequin with the 73 kWh battery pack (424 km NEDC differ). 

The Maxus eTerron 9 arrives later this yr as most likely probably the most extremely efficient pickup on the South African market at 325 kW and 700 Nm of torque. In actuality, every the eTerron 9 and the BYD Shark 06 are additional extremely efficient than the favored ICE Ford Ranger Raptor and the ICE Toyota Hilux GR-Sport. The eTerron 9 is powered by a 102.2 kWh battery giving a wide range of 430 km.

There are rumours of far more BEV and PHEV pickups being added to the South African market from corporations akin to Changan and JAC. The additional, the merrier! Let’s hope we get additional BEV and PHEV pickups in South Africa shortly!