Driving an electric vehicle from Johannesburg to Cape Town is slightly cheaper than using a petrol-powered equivalent, but diesel is the most affordable option by far.
However, since that analysis, GridCars has increased the prices of electricity from its rapid charging public DC stations from R5.88 to R7.35, the first jump in several years, while household electricity tariffs have also increased well above the rate of inflation.For our latest comparison, we used two electric SUVs in South Africa — the BMW iX3 and Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge — with petrol or diesel-powered equivalents.
Using Nyland’s findings, we calculated that 326kWh of electricity would be required for the BMW and 364kWh for the Volvo when travelling along the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town.BMW iX3 charging at homeIf you are an EV owner, you will likely be using lots of electricity from your home every month, which is why we used this tariff.
In contrast, electric cars perform at their best in urban areas because they use regenerative braking.