In South Africa, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Eleksa EV is launching CityBug. This model, already marketed in Asia, will cost 230,000 rand (about 15,000 dollars) locally.
It is a compact, two-door car that seats four people and weighs about 450 kg. “CityBug”, an electric model from Chinese manufacturer Eleksa, is already on display in its showroom in Pretoria, South Africa.
Measuring 2,960 mm long, 1,480 mm wide and 1,520 mm high, CityBug is equipped with a 9-kWh battery, a 4-kW electric motor that gives the electric vehicle a range of 100 km on a single charge, allowing a top speed of about 60 km/h.
Attacking the local market
Already sold in international markets such as Germany, Spain, Uruguay and the United Kingdom, the CityBug is ahead of future electric cars that Eleksa EV plans to produce such as the small bakkie, a delivery van and a small family SUV. The company is also looking for investors and retailers to get its commercial fleet off the ground. A strategy that will allow the Chinese manufacturer to have a significant share in the local market in South Africa, only five years after its first steps.
Launched in 2016, the South African start-up from Phillip Geyser specializing in green mobility solutions has already released bikes, scooters and mountain bikes named Impi and E-nova.
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Several car manufacturers assemble and produce combustion cars in South Africa. This is the case of the Japanese Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu and the American Ford. The South African government tends to favour the development of the electric car market with licenses already granted to BMW, Nissan, and Volkswagen. According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) in 2019, the automotive sector represented 7% of the South African economy.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
