Top EVs sold from January to July 2026 in South Africa

Naamsa has shared its latest New Energy Vehicle sales for South Africa from January to July 2026. It’s a recording breaking period for EV sales alone. Here’s what the NEV data looks like, year to date:

The number of EVs sold in the first seven months of 2026 represents a 268% increase year to date, from 641 units to 2 360 units.

Something to keep in mind is that certain brands don’t report their figures, a major one being Geely. According to reports from July 2026, there were at least 1 200 units of the Geely E2 sold in South Africa.

Based on the data shared by Naamsa, here are the top 10 EVs by model sold from January to July 2026.

TOP 10 EVs SOLD IN SA YTD:

• BYD Dolphin Surf – 1253
• BYD Seal – 138
• Volvo EX30 – 108
• BYD Dolphin – 107
• BYD Sealion 7 – 86
• Toyota bZ4X – 69
• BYD Atto 3 – 66
• BYD Atto 2 – 58
• Volvo EX30 Cross Country –  41
• Volvo XC40 – 39

BYD only reported their figures from March 2026, which means the missing January and February data would have made this list look different, including other brands like Dongfeng, who sells at least 2 EVs under the R500 000 mark.

Notably absent from the above list is anything from BMW, which according to the company at their January media event, customers are waiting in anticipation for the Neue Klasse iX3, which promises over 800km of range from a single charge. The BMW iX3 will launch in South Africa in September 2026.

BMW iX3 and EV Plant in Hungary

Another brand to watch is Chery with the launch of the Chery Q, priced at R350 000, which is sure to shake up what is turning out to be a competitive market for entry-level EVs. It will join the BYD Dolphin Surf and Geely E2 as some of the most affordable EVs to buy in South Africa this year.

Here’s what the top 5 selling EV brands (I’ve not included PHEVs or traditional hybrids) in SA in the same period, January to July 2026, looks like.

TOP 5 EV BRANDS IN SA YTD:

• BYD – 1708
• Volvo Cars – 234
• BMW Group – 81
• Stellantis – 55
• MG – 17

Clearly, 2026 is going to be a record year for NEVs and EVs in South Africa, plus there’s a growing interest in PHEVs, regarded as the ‘best of both worlds’, which is the stepping stone to switching to EVs.