Is Haval preparing to introduce an affordable electric SUV? Recent patent submissions in Australia seem to suggest so…

South Africa’s adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is far behind that of other regions in the world. There are multiple reasons for this fact but one of the main reasons is that EVs are just too expensive for the majority of South Africans.

If you considerthe EVs that are currently available in South Africa, your options are limited to the BMW i3, Mini Cooper SE, Jaguar I-Pace and the Porsche Taycan (as well as the Taycan Cross Turismo). The Mini Cooper SE is currently the cheapest EV on sale in South Africa with a price tag of R686 400 while the top-of-the-range Porsche Taycan comes in eye-wateringly close to R4-million. More so, if you look at the electric cars destined to reach South Africa in 2021/22, they are not getting cheaper. No wonder you don’t see many EV’s on the road, no one can afford them!

One of the key hurdles to increasing EV adoption in South Africa is the introduction of affordable EVs that will appeal to a wider audience. Haval might be the brand to do it…

Is a Haval electric SUV on the horizon?

An affordable Haval electric SUV might be on the cards.

A reportfrom Australiais suggesting that a new electric compact SUV model could be on the cards citing new patent filings showing a compact SUV with a blocked out grille which is typical of EVs as there’s no engine that requires cooling.

The speculation is that this supposed electric compact SUV from Haval could share styling with the 2019 WEY-S concept and be based on hybrid WEY Macchiato. WEY is a premium crossover/SUV brand under GWM.

Haval has a knack for offering value-for-money SUVs in South Africa and the latest Haval Jolion compact SUV and Haval H6 SUVare good examples of this. In less than 5 years, Haval has climbed the sales charts and is now a major player in our market. What other Chinese brand can claim such vigorous success in South Africa?

While there hasn’t been an official announcement for a new electric Haval SUV, we will keep our eye on this developing story.

The question we pose to you is: If Haval introduced an electric SUV priced under R500k and fully loaded with standard features, would you buy it?

Buy a Haval on Cars.co.za

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