Eleksa CityBug is the Cheapest EV in SA, but is 4kW enough?

Following successful homologation, the Eleksa CityBug is now the cheapest Electric Vehicle (EV) you can buy in South Africa.

The year 2022 will be an important one for the introduction of new Electric Vehicle (EV) products in South Africa. Luxury brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz will be welcoming a flurry of new EV products to the local market and by the end of the year, South African buyers will, for the first time ever, have the luxury to choose from a much wider range of EVs.

However, all of these forthcoming luxury EVs, as well as the EVs currently on sale in South Africa (including the Porsche Taycan, Jaguar I-Pace, Volvo XC40 Recharge, BMW i3 and Mini Cooper SE), will all have one thing in common — hefty price tags.

The Chinese-built Eleksa CityBug, however, bucks the trend and is now the cheapest EV you can buy in South Africa with a retail price of R230 000. It’s also the weakest EV you can buy as it’s powered by a 4kW electric motor and 9kWh battery that delivers a useable range of 100 km which can be extended to 200km upon request.

The CityBug isn’t likely to blow your hair back either as its top speed is rated at 60 kph. Charging from empty to full charge will take roughly 6 hours using a standard 220V home socket. More so, Eleksa says that the cost of charging is roughly 15c/km, the equivalent of about R15 for a full charge.

The Eleksa CityBug is ideal for city use and is squarely aimed at the short distance delivery market which is currently predominantly served by scooters.

So, what do you get for your money?

Well, the Eleksa CityBug measures 2 960 mm long, 1 480 mm wide and 1 520 mm tall. It has 2 doors with seating for 4 passengers. Load-carrying capacity is rated at 300 kg.

Other notable features include 12-inch alloy wheels, artificial leather upholstery with contrasting stitching, an android-based tablet infotainment system with Bluetooth and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, sound system, reverse camera, USB ports, air conditioning and electric windows.

Eleksa has been selling other electric products such as scooters, bikes, trikes, ATV’s, mobility vehicles and work vehicles for 6 years in South Africa and the CityBug joined its local offering in 2021 with first customers taking delivery in December 2021.

The Eleksa CityBug is also on sale in other markets including Germany, the UK, Spain and Uruguay.

We spoke to Eleksa spokesperson, Philip Geyser, who confirmed the local availability of the CityBug as well considerable interest from local businesses. Geyser also highlighted Eleksa’s intent to bring new affordable EVs to South Africa in 2022, including a small electric bakkie (expected in May 2022) as well as a small family SUV (expected in November 2022).

We have already seen the Eleksa CityBug in use in South Africa and we wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a more common sight in months to come. Watch this space!