By Nqobile Dludla
Toyota plans to introduce three fully electric models in South Africa in 2026, a senior executive said on Thursday, entering a nascent EV market where Chinese rivals such as BYD are already competing with European carmakers.
Volvo currently dominates EV sales in South Africa, followed by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but Chinese EV makers are starting to flood the market too as they seek new markets amid restrictions on exports to the United States and Europe.
Toyota currently only sells hybrid electric vehicles in South Africa, but leads with a commanding 67% of the market for hybrids and plug-in hybrids in 2024, with models like its Corolla Cross.
“We’re launching battery electric vehicles at the beginning of 2026, so we will have three new battery electric vehicles,” Toyota South Africa CEO Andrew Kirby told Reuters on the sidelines of an auto components conference, without providing further details.
“We do not believe
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