
Asian brands, EVs dominate 2025 Best Buy Awards
The 2025 Best By Awards, announced by Kelley Blue Book, reflect the rapidly shifting landscape of the automotive market not only in the USA, but also elsewhere.
- Industry News
- 17 April 2025
The Renault 5 EV concept might not be new, but it is the most likely of the concepts that will make it into production.
The 5 EV is inspired by the famous hatchback that roamed the world’s roads between 1972 and 1995. Indications are that the 5 EV will go into production in 2024 and will be one of seven all-new vehicles that the French automaker will launch come 2025.
Reports say the 5 EV will replace the Zoe, Europe's best-selling electric car as of 2022. The subcompact will ride on the Renault–Nissan Common Module Family platform, also known as the CMF-B EV, which is expected to reduce production costs by 33% compared to the Zoe.
The new EV will be cheaper than the ZOE and make electric vehicles more affordable to a bigger audience.
The Renault 5 EV will have a front-mounted ePT-100 kW motor that will have a range of about 400 km. This is thanks to new powertrain technology and nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries as the power source.
This is also the kind of electric vehicle that Renault will hopefully bring to South-Africa within the next two to three years.
At this stage, Renault South Africa has already placed orders for the hybrid versions of the Arkana, a coupe-styled SUV and the smaller Captur Crossover SUV, both SUVs for homologation.
The ICE Captur, which is already in production, will be launched in SA in February next year, and the hybrids could be here for sale within 12 months thereafter, says Renault SA.
As the global automotive industry shifts into a greener, electrified future, South African fitment centres stand at a critical crossroad: adapt or risk falling behind.
Another plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is on its way to South Africa; this time in the form of JAC Motors’ T9 2.0L TGDI PHEV double-cab bakkie.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has begun full-scale production of the first-ever Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) at its Silverton Manufacturing Plant.