BYD brings affordable PHEV SUV to the market
BYD has added another model to its line-up in South Africa. This time it is the Sealion 5, which slots in below the larger Sealine 6, which is also available locally.
- Product News
- 15 December 2025
Tesla fans are hoping that Elon Musk will make good on his long-standing promise of an affordable electric vehicle, when he reveals his plans later this week, Reuters reported on 27 February.
According to the news agency, “Musk said last year he shelved the plan for a $25,000 car, known as Model 2, and he hasn't mastered the new battery technology that he has stated would be crucial to the cheaper cars.
“Expanding into the mass market is critical to meeting Tesla's goal of increasing vehicle deliveries 15-fold – to 20 million – by 2030. Tesla cut prices in recent months to boost sales, which were pressured by a weak economy and growing competition.”
At the time of publication, Tesla’s shares were up about 60% year-to-date but were still at half their November 2021 peak.
The lower-priced car is expected to be the centrepiece of Musk's 'Master Plan Part Three', which he will offer at an 'Investor Day' on 1 March, along with plans for factory expansion and capital spending.
“Whatever he says about timelines, though, investors will be wary, since he has missed his most prominent deadlines while building the world's most valuable car company,” Reuters commented.
"The formula for decoding Musk is pretty simple. Take whatever time frame he has, and multiply it by two," said Gene Munster, Managing Partner at Deepwater Asset Management, which owns Tesla shares.
Munster expects the new car platform to be rolled out in 2025 at the earliest, which would still be years faster than the typical auto industry development of a new vehicle.
Tesla did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
BYD has added another model to its line-up in South Africa. This time it is the Sealion 5, which slots in below the larger Sealine 6, which is also available locally.
The Big C, as cancer is sometimes referred to, is survivable, and knowledge about it plays a vital role in overcoming it.
Over the past six years, South Africa has witnessed a marked rise in the monthly repayments agreed upon by vehicle buyers, with the sharpest increases seen among those financing used cars rather than new ones.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
George Carlin
According to a Reuters report, Ford and Renault have agreed to work together on a new generation of compact, lower-priced electric cars for Europe, while also expanding cooperation on commercial vans, as both manufacturers seek to defend their market positions against increasingly aggressive Chinese rivals.
As South Africa forges ahead in the automotive landscape, a notable divide has emerged in the growing realm of new-energy vehicles.
Kenya’s automotive industry recently made headlines when Tad Motors unveiled its first range of locally assembled electric vehicles (EVs), igniting discussions across Africa about the continent’s growing capacity for indigenous mobility solutions.