As the world is rapidly shifting towards electric vehicles (EVs), Volkswagen (VW) is leading the charge to bring this revolution to South Africa. In a recent conversation with Martina Biene CEO of Volkswagen South Africa, we discussed the company's plans to introduce EVs in the country. Retooling existing plants for EVs One of the main [...]
As electric vehicles continue to gain popularity, the question of how consumers will buy them is becoming increasingly relevant. Dealerships are here to stay I believe that the traditional dealership model is not going anywhere soon. Despite the potential for disruption from new technologies and business models. One reason for this is that buying a [...]
I was recently given the opportunity to be part of the first Thought Leadership Roundtable discussion held by naamsa. This was on how we stimulate demand for New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) in SA as the automotive industry. Personally, I have witnessed how technology has changed the automotive industry. From internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, [...]
As the CEO of AutoTrader South Africa, I have been closely monitoring the global transition to electric vehicles (EV) and its potential impact on South Africa's automotive industry. While the shift to EVs poses some challenges for South Africa, it also presents a number of opportunities for growth and innovation. The EV Impact on South [...]
The Mecedes-Benz brand identifies itself as a blend of luxury, sportiness and performance. As Co-CEO, Mark Raine firmly believes that being a luxury brand consists of 4 things: the brand element, the product substance, quality and lastly, customer service. It's these elements that have fueled the growth and success of the Mercedes-Benz offering in any [...]
Electric vehicles are gaining momentum in South Africa, even more so now with the spike in fuel prices. Searches on AutoTrader more than doubled annually for the last 2 years - a clear indication that demand is growing. Whilst interest in EVs grows, so does the need to educate electric car drivers or would-be electric [...]
The recent increase in electricity prices as well as petrol prices begs the question. How much does it cost to charge electric cars compared to fueling petrol cars? These increases consisted of electricity tariffs going up by 9.61% and an increase in petrol price of 28 cents per litre in April 2022. I'm going to [...]
The revolution of electric cars in South Africa is starting will contribute not only to our GDP through the automotive sector. But also to our education sector as more and more demand rises for these electric cars. The automotive industry has enjoyed strong growth in vehicle manufacture and sales over the last decade, but all [...]
I'm not the kind of person who cares much about the loud tail-pipe noises that petrol-heads love, I always remind people that at one point in our history, we rode horses, especially when talking about the future of electric cars in South Africa. However, horses have not disappeared, they have been replaced by Internal Combustion [...]
Volvo South Africa gave me the great opportunity to be one of the first in South Africa to drive the Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge full battery electric car. I had the Volvo XC40 Recharge for the weekend. 3 things I love about the Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge electric car 1 - Adaptive cruise control and [...]
