Lepas L4 Embarks on its South African journey
A new chapter begins as the first Lepas L4 vehicles depart Port Taicang in China, bound for South Africa.
- Product News
- 2 February 2026
In Abu Dhabi, a rare car licence plate with the single-digit number "P7" was sold for a whopping $15 million, which is approximately R218 million. Mind you, a standard personalised number plate with seven letters or numbers can cost around R2 500 to R5 000 in South Africa.
The sale of the licence plate set a new bar in the United Arab Emirates, surpassing a previous record set more than a decade ago for a licence plate with the number "7".
The licence plate was sold at a charity auction, with all proceeds going towards Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global food aid initiative, the 1 Billion Meals Endowment. The auction attracted wealthy bidders from around the world, with the winning bid coming from an anonymous buyer.
The P7 licence plate is considered to be one of the most coveted in the world, as single-digit licence plates are extremely rare and highly sought after. The sale of the licence plate not only broke records but also raised significant funds for a worthy cause.
As the gavel came down on the record-breaking sale, attendees cheered and congratulated the buyer on his/her new acquisition. The sale of the P7 licence plate will be remembered as a historic moment in the United Arab Emirates and serves as a reminder of the wealth and extravagance that can be found in the region.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition has renewed calls for stronger localisation, expanded job creation and deeper transformation in South Africa’s automotive industry after reviewing progress on the South African Automotive Industry Master Plan 2035.
As economic pressures and market volatility continue to shape the local transport industry, UD Trucks Southern Africa says it has demonstrated confident and stable growth, supported by strong retail partnerships and a relentless focus on customer uptime.
Keyloop, a global automotive technology company, has signed an agreement to acquire Motortech.ai, a United Kingdom-based (UK) developer of state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for the automotive industry.