NEV vs ICE: Who is who and what is what
The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) might still be a long way from becoming obsolete, but the worldwide trend in favour of New Energy Vehicles (NEV) is growing rapidly.
- New Energy Vehicles
- 15 January 2026
Springbok rugby will again be driven by Land Rover with the announcement that the premium brand will be the official vehicle partner and associate sponsor of the Rugby World Cup Champions.
Springboks like Duane Vermeulen, Sbu Nkosi, Bongi Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Frans Steyn have also been appointed official Land Rover brand ambassadors. All six were part of the Rugby World Cup 2019-winning squad which Land Rover South Africa also supported.
To kick the renewed partnership off on a positive note the new Land Rover ambassadors have donated R40 000 to the Kingsley Holgate Foundation and its efforts to support thousands of South Africans around the country with meals, masks, sanitising soap and digital thermometers.
Global Land Rover ambassadors Kingsley and Ross Holgate are currently tracking the entire land border of South Africa in two new Defenders for their Mzansi Edge Expedition, with an objective to deliver humanitarian aid to hard-hit communities near game reserves devastated by the collapse of the tourism industry.

The 70-day, 10,000km journey began just over a month ago and has recently left the Western Cape to continue up the eastern side of the country and complete a lap around the perimeter of Lesotho, where the Expedition Team will visit a number of schools and early childhood development (ECD) centres before wrapping up in Kosi Bay late in November.
Land Rover Jaguar spokesperson says they are proud to bring a trio of forces together to deliver essential supplies to those in need around the country under the recently introduced #TeamDefender initiative banner.
“By working with the Kingsley Holgate Foundation, Land Rover and our ambassadors will make a difference to the lives of thousands. Kingsley and Ross are world-renowned experts in delivering aid to hard-to-reach places, and will do so safely during the pandemic, maintaining strict COVID-19 protocols.”
Follow the Holgates along the Mzansi Edge journey, and all other Team Defender initiatives on social media using the #TeamDefender hashtag. Regular updates will be shared by Land Rover South Africa on these pages.
Volkswagen has slipped to third place in China’s automotive market, overtaken by Geely Auto after losing its decade-long dominance to BYD in 2024, according to industry data.
The 2026 Dakar Rally roared back into action on Monday with Stage 8, a gruelling 481km loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir.
Over thirty firms from across the automotive supply chain have joined forces to advance open-source software development, aiming to create next-generation vehicles while driving down costs, Germany’s leading industry association announced recently.