Mercedes-Benz is to launch five full battery electric vehicles (BEV) in the South African market in 2022.
The launch of the new models, all from the global Mercedes-EQ range, form part of a clear, strategic push to position the brand as a global and local leader in the electric vehicle (EV) market.
The new strategy aims to leverage the brand’s strengths in the luxury space while unlocking the full potential of its unique speciality brands, AMG, Maybach and EQ.
Mark Raine, the newly appointed President of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa, said leading in electric drive and digitisation is a key pillar of the Mercedes-Benz strategy.
Raine admitted electric vehicle sales are relatively small in South Africa but says Mercedes-Benz South Africa will follow the global push towards zero-emission mobility.
Ola Kallenius, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG, previously announced that Mercedes-Benz Cars aims to have a carbon-neutral new passenger car fleet over the next 20 years, and its target is for plug-in hybrids or all-electric vehicles to make up more than 50% of its car sales by 2030.
Raine says significant interest has already been shown by potential customers in South Africa in Mercedes-Benz's EQ range.
“This interest is aided by the growth in the public charging grid, including national coverage on main routes and the number of potential customers with existing renewable energy solutions (or considering these in the near-future).
“Based on these developments, we are confident that the cars we bring into the country will find many happy owners,” he says.
The BEV models that will be launched into the South African market this year are the:
Raine added that Mercedes-Benz has created a strong growth strategy for the South African market to capitalise on what it sees as a ‘growth market potential’.
He says the local EV strategy announced by Mercedes-Benz includes the digital transformation of the entire customer experience, a focus on strengthening the positioning of the company as the most desirable luxury vehicle brand and providing a clear roadmap to support the growth of Mercedes-EQ in South Africa.
Raine expressed confidence that there will be a strong uptake and growth in the luxury EV market in South Africa in the next 12 to 24 months.
Within the vehicle retail sector, there are meaningful career opportunities for young people who are interested in sales, customer engagement, administration and dealership operations.
Housed in the upmarket, safe and centrally located Ballito Business Park in Moffat Drive, the location is in the heart of the Ballito retail trading business precinct amongst many already established OEM brands.
SVI Engineering, specialist manufacturer of armoured products in South Africa, has released a series of Transformer-inspired videos via its social media channels, highlighting how the company leverages its extensive expertise in the military and security fields to deliver civilian protection.
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You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
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SVI Engineering, specialist manufacturer of armoured products in South Africa, has released a series of Transformer-inspired videos via its social media channels, highlighting how the company leverages its extensive expertise in the military and security fields to deliver civilian protection.
The new car buying trend has continued unabated into the new year, with January figures reflecting a 7.5% increase in total vehicle sales and passenger car volumes rising by 7.1%.
The positive momentum of new vehicle sales in 2025 seems set to continue in 2026, with January building on the previous year’s success, says the Automotive Business Council (naamsa).
