Chery’s iCar 03 and the BYD Seal amongst Growing Number of EVs on Display at South African Festival of Motoring

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The 2024 edition of the South African Festival of Motoring was recently held at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg. What stood out for me was the increasing number of electric vehicles on show as well as available for test drives. I really like these exhibitions. These kinds of exhibitions are really good for raising awareness and getting people to appreciate the beauty of electric mobility.

The BYD Seal at the South African Festival of Motoring. Image courtesy of Ryan Jarret.

There is a growing number of EV models that are now offered in South Africa, with BYD and Chery being some of the newest players in the market. BYD has launched the Atto 3 and the Dolphin hatchback in the South African market. It appears the Seal electric sedan could soon be added to the South African market. The Seal was recently on show at the 2024 edition of the South African Festival of Motoring. The Seal caught the eye of many people who were attending the festival, and some of the lucky attendees who were fortunate to find test drive slots managed to take it for a spin.

The Chery iCar 03 (JAECOO J6 in South Africa). Image courtesy of Ryan Jarret.

Whilst we hope the BYD Seal will be launched in South Africa soon, there was some more exciting news from Chery. Chery confirmed that the iCar 03 EV will be available in South Africa later this year. In South Africa, the iCar 03 will be known as the JAECOO J6. In a statement, JAECOO said it was pleased to announce that the new fully electric J6 has been officially confirmed for the South African market. Brand O&J — the fast-growing Chery Group division comprising the OMODA and JAECOO marques — is rapidly expanding into the global new-energy vehicle space. Equipped with a fully electric powertrain, the rugged new J6 is the next step in this forward-thinking strategy.

“The exciting new JAECOO J6 will be revealed to the South African public at the upcoming Festival of Motoring, giving local enthusiasts an early opportunity to get up close and personal with this characterful battery-electric compact SUV,” said Shannon Gahagan, National Brand and Marketing Manager OMODA & JAECOO.

Gahagan said the J6 features a retro-inspired exterior design and boxy proportions. The five-seat JAECOO J6 is deceptively spacious inside, with the versatile cabin furthermore featuring a plethora of clever storage spaces. In terms of driving dynamics, the SUV is both comfortable in the city and highly capable off the beaten path. The new J6 thus fits in perfectly with JAECOO’s already established position as an innovative urban off-road SUV brand. Like its siblings, it’s tougher than a typical crossover but more comfortable than a traditional off-roader, and will help to further a new urban off-roading trend started by the J7.

“Although we’re preparing to launch a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) version of the J7 — which will push the brand into the local new-energy vehicle space — the upcoming J6 represents the next step for our growing line-up as it’s set to arrive as the first fully electric model to wear the JAECOO badge,” added Gahagan.

The J6 comes in LFP battery packs ranging from 50.6 to 69.8 kWh. Models with the rear-wheel-drive option have a 137 kW motor, and the all-wheel-drive models offer 208 kW from the motors.

Other EV models on show at the festival include Volvo’s EV range, including the EX30, Porsche’s Taycans, the FIAT 500, the BYD Atto 3 & Dolphin, and many others.