This past Thursday (6 October), Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla will be delivering their first electric trucks to food and beverage giant Pepsi on 1 December.
It came amidst the usual “oohs” and “aahs” that accompany any announcement by Musk, who seems to be revered as a demi-god by some. The only problem is that five years have elapsed since he initially announced that Tesla would be introducing electric trucks to the market and in this period other manufacturers seem to have been quietly getting on with introducing their own electric models in the same category.
Most notably was Amazon who started rolling out electric Rivian delivery vehicles as far back as June. Amazon’s aim is to have thousands of these vehicles in hundreds of US cities by the end of the year, which, when considered, casts considerable shade on Musk’s announcement last Thursday.
In Germany, Amazon is also in the forefront, in this case acquiring 20 Volvo FH Electric trucks that they hope will be fully operational by the end of the year. Again, this has been in the pipeline long before Musk’s recent Tweet.
Even South Africa is not lagging. KDG Logistics recently signed a Letter of Intent to purchase two Volvo FM 4x2 Electric Truck Tractors and these are expected to arrive during the second quarter of 2023.
The race for a share in this market is well advanced, and the South African-born innovator’s company does not have a runaway lead, despite what he might want his social media followers to believe.
Mitsubishi Motors has revived the Pajero name with the launch of the fifth generation Pajero Cross Country. The new model does not simply replace the previous Pajero that disappeared from the market in 2021. Its relationship with the Pajero Sport is equally important, particularly for markets such as South Africa.
Range Rover, long regarded as the original luxury SUV, has introduced its first electric model. The vehicle is built at the Solihull plant in the UK, where Range Rover production has taken place since 1970.
Audi South Africa has introduced the new Q5 range, comprising the third-generation Q5 SUV, second-generation Q5 Sportback, and the performance-focused SQ5 SUV and SQ5 Sportback. The range is built on Audi's Premium Platform Combustion and brings a new generation of petrol and diesel engines to the nameplate.
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
The Toyota Starlet has improved from zero to a four-star rating for adult occupant protection in Global NCAP's latest #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results. This follows a safety upgrade to make six airbags a standard fit.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has released a new corporate manifesto that sets out its commitment to the country, its customers and its dealer network, alongside a renewed push to champion industrialisation as central to South Africa's future.
South Africa's new vehicle market sustained strong momentum in August 2026, with aggregate sales increasing by 11,4% year-on-year to 57 898 units, says the Automotive Business Councill | naamsa.
