My six months with an EV

Six months ago, I swapped my petrol car for an electric one: the new Mini Cooper SE. This long-term test gave me a perspective on the realities of living with an EV in a country where these cars are largely out of the reach of the average consumer.

While there’s a global trend towards electrification, the local journey is a bumpy one; the cars are expensive and charging infrastructure is sparse. Only 3 543 EVs have been sold in South Africa from 2013 to the end of 2024.