New appointment at Dunlop Tyres South Africa
Dunlop Tyres South Africa has announced the appointment of Thuli Gasa as Head of Corporate Services, serving as a full member of the Executive Committee.
- Industry News
- 31 May 2025
According to Reuters, BMW reported on 15 March that the company expected over 50% of new sales to be all-electric vehicles.
This is well ahead of its 2030 target. The company also hinted that a hydrogen-powered car could be going into production in the second half of the decade.
The carmaker forecast slightly higher deliveries and an 8%-10% margin for the year, up from its 7%-9% target in 2022, but cautioned that it still expected high costs from supply chain troubles and had not factored in a deep recession in its key markets into its outlook.
BMW finance chief Nicolas Peter, who is due to retire later this year, said he expected energy and chip supply to stabilise but still predicted significant cost burdens from logistics bottlenecks and high raw material prices.
The company said it planned to keep prices stable, after years of dealing with rising costs by passing them on to customers.
The forecast chimes with a broadly cautious tone across the auto industry hoping for a stronger 2023 but still keenly aware of supply chain problems, high inflation in Europe and uncertainty over China's post-pandemic economic recovery.
Still, car makers across the board were optimistic about the growth of their battery-electric vehicle segment, with BMW predicting a fourth of new sales would be all-electric by 2025, rising to a third by 2026 - an ambitious leap from the 1-in-11 ratio seen last year.
One of the most prominent advocates among carmakers of hydrogen fuel-cell technology as a worthwhile option alongside battery-powered cars, Chief Executive Oliver Zipse said he could also envisage a hydrogen-powered vehicle going into production by mid-decade.
Key to making that happen is an expansion of the hydrogen-fuelling network, which was mainly in the hands of the heavy vehicle transport industry, development chief Frank Weber added at a press conference dedicated to the company's annual results.
"We see hydrogen-electric vehicles as a meaningful complement to e-mobility, even with something of a time lag," Zipse said.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen test vehicle, with a range of 500 km and an ability to refuel in three to four minutes, was being tested in various countries, BMW said in a statement.
Dunlop Tyres South Africa has announced the appointment of Thuli Gasa as Head of Corporate Services, serving as a full member of the Executive Committee.
The South African Reserve Bank’s decision to lower interest rates by 25 basis points – bringing rates to their lowest level in more than two years – has been cautiously welcomed by the retail motor sector.
“South Africa’s youth are talented, hungry to learn and eager to work, but they need the opportunity to gain real-world skills that translate into jobs,” says Thembinkosi Pantsi, Vice-Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA).
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If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.
Bob Hooey
Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE), South Africa’s first company to pioneer a national network of off-grid, solar-powered ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, announced a R100 million equity investment from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).
The new Volvo XC70 mid-size SUV is Volvo Cars’ first extended-range plug-in hybrid. It provides a pure electric range of up to 200 kilometres, making it Volvo Cars’ longest-range plug-in hybrid to date.
A shift towards an electric vehicle landscape in South Africa will get another boost with the soon-to-be released Geely Riddara double cab 4x4 and 4x2 bakkies locally by Enviro Automotive.