“I am an electric vehicle convert, and it took me two years to secure the franchise rights of the EV brand I most admire and have been driving for some time, BYD,” says Marius du Toit, Managing Director of the 4Wheels Motor Group, which has several other dealerships of different brands in its portfolio.
The new BYD dealership will share premises with the 4Wheels Motor Group’s other brands in Mahikeng, the capital of the Northwest Province.
Dealerfloor reported on his passion for electric vehicles last year (https://dealerfloor.co.za/electric-vehicles/bury-the-ice-the-future-is-electric-says-marius)
Marius owns three electric vehicles, a BYD Dolphin with 43 000 kilometres on the clock, which he has driven for more than a year, as well as two electric BMWs, a 2014 i3 and a newer iX3. A new BYD Surf will soon join the Du Toit family.
“On my BYD Dolphin, even the brakes are still original, and maintenance costs are a fraction of those of an internal combustion engine. The more than decade old BMW i3 has only lost about 4 percent of its original battery power and is still a phenomenal performer.
“This is a dream come true for me, as electric vehicles are my passion. It is all I have been driving for many years. As a car enthusiast, I firmly believe the full electric route is the final destination for motoring,” he tells Dealerfloor.
“We are looking forward to spreading the good news about the advantages of EVs in the province, and I have already made presentations to larger companies that could benefit from the low maintenance and running costs of an electric vehicle compared to a traditional internal combustion engine.
“BYD removes the friction of daily cash flow associated with internal combustion vehicles with an all- inclusive ecosystem. An AC charger is provided with all the EVs we sell, and with the Eskom infrastructure it costs around R3,50 per 100km compared to around R170 per 100km for an internal combustion vehicle. EVs make sense in terms of costs as well as the driving experience,” he says.
Marius says they are negotiating with banks to consider the possibility of including a home solar panel installation as part of the transaction. This could reduce charging costs to zero, apart from the initial investment required to install a solar system which could also be financed.
Although they have a charger on the premises, he says more charging stations in the North West would be a welcome addition to create an even better driving experience over longer distances. “I have no doubt that range anxiety based on the availability of charging stations will soon be a thing of the past as these facilities increase,” Marius adds.
And why the passion for BYD?
“The Chinese brand’s commitment to electric vehicles, along with its widely popular and sophisticated batteries, draws me to the brand. Yes, there will be hybrids too, but the focus remains on full electric vehicles, which I strongly believe are the answer to our mobility needs,” Marius concludes.
Many forward-thinking individuals propose that autonomous vehicles will improve road safety as problematic driver behaviour, which contributes to 90% plus crashes, will be eliminated. A recent incident may cause some to doubt this, however.
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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
George Carlin
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