Vehicle manufacturer Build Your Dreams has started gaining traction in South Africa after its first year in the country.
The company was founded as a battery manufacturer in 1995 and entered the automotive business in 2003. It has leveraged its battery research and expertise to develop packs that function well in EVs. The second model to land in local showrooms – the BYD Dolphin hatchback — became the most affordable EV in South Africa in May 2024, with a starting price of R539,900.Picking up pace
“Thanks to BYD’s global presence, we found South African customers will go to the showroom with the knowledge of the product. The conversion rate from lead to actual sales is good,” the company explained. MyBroadband’s own tests of several EVs in South Africa have shown that their per-kilometre running cost is typically between a third and half the cost of driving a similar petrol car.