
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
One cannot attend an SA auto industry event without captains of industry, thought leaders and other stakeholders bemoaning the lack of political will to create a fertile policy framework for the introduction of new energy vehicles (NEV) and its related infrastructure.
Despite the sometimes negative criticisms and opinion of South Africa’s relations to the Red Dragon, one can only hope that some of China’s ways in this regard (that is, NEVs) will rub off on the powers that be.
This week, Reuters reported that China unveiled a 520-billion-yuan ($72.3 billion) package to boost sales of electric vehicles (EVs) and other green cars over the next four years to prop up a softening auto demand, sending shares of automakers sharply higher.
The package, widely expected after an earlier government pledge to promote the industry, comes as softening sales in the world's biggest auto market have raised concerns over economic growth, which is losing momentum after a brisk start to the year.
New energy vehicles (NEVs) purchased in 2024 and 2025 will be exempt from purchase tax amounting to as much as 30,000 yuan per vehicle, with the exemption halving for purchases made in 2026 and 2027, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
The total tax breaks will amount to 520-billion-yuan, Vice Minister of Finance Xu Hongcai said at a press conference.
The move is an extension of the current policy under which NEVs – which include all-battery electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in petrol-electric hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles – are exempt from purchase tax until the end of 2023.
The announcement follows a cabinet meeting during which authorities said they would extend and optimise the tax exemption and study policies to promote NEV development.
The incentives put NEVs, a mainstay of big-ticket spending, on the front burner of a broad-based push to rekindle growth in the world's second-largest economy.
The government heavily promoted NEVs in recent years through incentives that supported the rise of local players such as Li Auto, NIO and BYD.
NEV sales rose 10.5% in May from a month earlier, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. Sales jumped 60.9% from a year earlier when COVID-19 curbs still roiled auto production and sales.
Wednesday's announcement is the fourth extension. The tax break was announced in 2014 and extended in 2017, 2020 and 2022.
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.