- A multitude of new premium electric cars will officially arrive in South Africa in 2022.
- These three electric vehicles seem compelling as replacements for gasoline or diesel vehicles.
- If you’re less on the move due to remote and hybrid work, an electric vehicle might be ideal.
- For the latest in driving, go to Wheels24
The ongoing rise in fuel prices in South Africa has sparked several conversations with friends, family, as well as readers and social media followers over the past few weeks about switching to electric vehicles. I’ve spoken to some people who drive premium cars from Audi, BMW and Volvo. We talked about their mobility needs now that we are living in this new world of remote and hybrid work environments.
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Most of them said they refuel once or twice a month instead of three or four times a month as they have driven much less in the past 18 months since the lockdown began. However, two full fuel tanks in a premium vehicle with an average capacity of 60 liters cost more than 1200 Ren per tank of fuel, depending on which part of the country you are in.
2021 Volvo XC40 electric
Would you consider switching from a gasoline or diesel vehicle to an electric vehicle if South Africa offered a wider range of cheaper electric cars? Let us know in the comments section or email us here.
Stock up on a grudge buy now
I admit that refueling a car with gasoline or diesel is hardly a high point of a driving experience (we’d drive instead, right?). Nowadays, however, refueling feels worse, more like a resentment buying when you look at the petrol or diesel pump after the “first click”.
Fortunately, charging with electricity doesn’t feel so terrible. I lived with a Volkswagen Golf 7 e-Golf from Volkswagen South Africa Press for a month, and to charge that car’s battery at home (38kWh battery pack) during the test period it cost around R80 per charge. I would drive around 170 km per day on average per charge.
When the conversation turned back to electric cars, I thought of the e-Golf. We won’t be able to buy this amazing electric Golf in SA, but now could be an ideal time to highlight three premium electric vehicles that will be launched in SA in 2022 that could be perfect for you if you are into the world of gasoline want to leave and diesel in the back.
2022 Audi e-tron GT
READ MORE ABOUT THE AUDI E-TRON RANGE HERE.
1. Audi e-tron GT
The Audi e-tron GT has been brewed for almost a decade. Audi initially maintained electrification of the R8 sports car, with several concept versions being created, including samples driven by Tony Stark in the Marvel Avengers film series. Audi officially launched the e-tron GT in Europe last year and eventually landed in South Africa with an official local launch scheduled for early 2022. Wheels24 had the opportunity to rate the SUV version of the e-tron, which you can read here.
We’re looking forward to the e-tron GT because we think it’s the ideal replacement vehicle for you if you’re used to driving powerful V8 and V12 sports coupes. The e-tron GT shares its gizzard with the Porsche Taycan and uses the same electrified platform and battery technology from J1.
Completely new Audi e-Tron
With 84 kWh net battery capacity (93.4 kWh gross capacity) and two electric motors for quattro all-wheel drive, the e-tron accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 245 km / h. According to Audi, it delivers a maximum continuous output of 350 kW, which is temporarily increased to 390 kW in launch control situations.
The sportier RS ​​version accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in just 3.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 250 km / h. The RS version delivers 440 kW of power, which increases to 475 kW when overboost is required.
The e-tron GT promises extreme speed, luxury and the latest electrification technologies, including fast charging times and over-the-air updates. The basic model costs R2 715,000 and promises a range of up to 488 km with its battery between charges. Yes, the car is expensive, but it offers extreme performance, loads of luxury, and comes with a five-year or 100,000 km Freeway Plan maintenance contract.
2022 BMW iX
READ MORE ABOUT THE BMW iX HERE.
2. BMW iX
We wanted to inspect the brand new fully electric crossover vehicle BMW iX in South Africa this month. However, the local start has been delayed as the coronavirus pandemic enters its fourth wave.
The brand new iX, which hit the market in Europe at the beginning of the year with a great response, is the first family car from BMW to do without a powerful internal combustion engine. It is also one of the first electric cars in South Africa to offer a range of more than 600 kilometers on a single charge.
2022 BMW iX
The battery of the BMW iX xDrive40 has a net capacity of 71 kWh (76.6 kWh gross). It can be charged quickly with up to 150 kW direct current (direct current) and charged from 10% to 80% in about 31 minutes. We don’t have many of these high capacity chargers in South Africa yet. The xDrive40 is equipped with two electric motors (one on each axis) and together produces 240 kW and 630 Nm of torque. The sprint time from 0 to 100 km / h is 6.1 seconds, the top speed is limited to 200 km / h.
South Africans who like to drive long distances and those with particular fear of range will love the xDrive50 version of the iX. Here the battery pack has a net capacity of 105 kWh (111.5 kWh gross). It can be charged quickly with up to 200 kW DC and can be charged from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes or less. BMW says an 11 kW AC home charger will be able to fully charge this model’s battery in about 11 hours. Performance Fundis will also love the power of this version, as it is equipped with 390 kW of power and 765 Nm of torque, which should accelerate it from 0 to 100 km / h in just 4.6 seconds.
Surprisingly, while still an expensive vehicle, the iX is quite competitive when you look at the EV market in SA in general. The 40s version with a range of 425km is already listed on the BMW website for R1 650,000, the 50s version with a range of up to 630km for R2 175,000. All models come with BMW’s five-year engine plan maintenance contract.
2021 Volvo XC40 electric
READ MORE ABOUT THE VOLVO XC40 BEV HERE.
3. Charge the Volvo XC40
Volvo has been annoying South Africans for some time with the prospect of owning an all-electric SUV for just over R 1 million, but the vehicle should arrive at local showrooms from Q1 2022 as storage issues have been resolved.
Selling alongside the existing line of XC40 models, the XC40 Recharge will lead Volvo’s proverbial charge to become an all-electric manufacturer within the next decade. Volvo has already confirmed that all of its vehicles will launch with hybrid fuel-saving technologies from 2022, and these all-electric models will come after their launch – starting with the XC40 in 2022, it’s not as quirky to look at as the Audi e- tron or BMW iX, but perfect for people who want to blend in instead of attracting attention.
Charging the Volvo XC40
According to the manufacturer, the 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge is powered by a lithium-ion battery and offers a range of more than 400 km on a single charge. They say that with a 50kW DC charger, the battery can be charged to 80% of its capacity in 40 minutes.
Thanks to Jaguar and BMW and grid cars, there are plenty of these chargers across the country. The battery pack is placed in the vehicle floor and is surrounded by an aluminum safety cage that forms the crumple zone around the battery. With up to 300 kW of power, it’s the fastest accelerating Volvo road vehicle you can buy.
The XC40 Recharge contains an infotainment system that Volvo developed in collaboration with Google. Android’s native system includes apps like the Google Assistant, Google Maps, and the Google Play Store. The system can be fully voice-controlled and continuously receive software and operating system updates in real time. Audi and Jaguar have already used over-the-air updates to give their e-tron and I-Pace customers additional range through refined algorithms for their vehicles. Volvo could offer the same thanks to its always-on Google technology.
Completely new Audi e-Tron
Completely new Audi e-Tron
2022 Audi e-tron GT
2022 Audi e-tron GT
Completely new Audi e-Tron
2022 BMW iX
2022 BMW iX
2022 BMW iX
2021 BMW iX
2021 BMW iX
2021 Volvo XC40 charging
Volvo XC40 P8 fully electric charging
2021 Volvo XC40 electric
Charging the Volvo XC40
2021 Volvo XC40 electric
You can already order the Volvo XC40 Recharge by visiting the My Volvo Store here. You can also express your interest in the Audi e-tron here or order your brand new BMW iX here. If you are looking for a premium vehicle, you need to test drive an electric vehicle and see if it fits your lifestyle as it is the future of driving. If you would like to stay up to date with the latest on electric vehicles in South Africa, be sure to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter.
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