Watts & Wheels

About Watts & Wheels

Watts & Wheels is a new motoring show from TechCentral focused mainly - but not exclusively - on the electric vehicle revolution.

Publisher

TechCentral

Category

leisure

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Jul 2025

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 17 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   LDV's Gerhard Moolman on electric bakkies and fleets

   LDV South Africa isn't courting buyers whose fathers and grandfathers drove the same bakkie brand. CEO Gerhard Moolman wants the fleet owner replacing five vehicles who will try one LDV. Moolman, who took over in March after 23 years with Land Rover dealer groups, told Watts & Wheels' William Kelly that the brand's slow start since launching locally in 2024 has been written off. "What happened before is school fees," he said. LDV, a name inherited from British van maker Leyland DAF Vans, is owned by China's state-controlled SAIC Motor. It launched with the T60 double cab alone and now sells close to 10 nameplates, from panel vans to the Terron 9 luxury double cab. A recent shipment of just over 200 vehicles was sold before it docked, Moolman said, and one fleet customer has ordered 50 units from the next. LDV has 30 dealers countrywide, plus a parts and training centre in Gauteng. First-half 2026 sales already exceed the full-year 2025 total, he said, and LDV expects to triple its 2025 volumes by December. He gave no unit numbers. The newest addition is the T60 Utility single cab, launched in August from R299 900 for the 4x2 and R358 900 for the 4x4. It has a 120kW engine, a payload of up to 1 170kg, dual airbags and steel wheels, which fleets prefer because they can be beaten straight. The local range is diesel only, but electric double cabs are on their way for certification testing. SAIC also builds electric panel vans and buses with up to 30 seats, which LDV may consider for South Africa. Moolman expects fleets on fixed 200km daily routes to choose smaller, lighter batteries over maximum range. Don't miss the discussion.

2. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Rubicon’s EV charging network is profitable – and growing fast

   The company runs 125 chargers and wants a thousand within five years, focused on urban hubs. -- Rubicon’s public charging network is profitable and grew usage markedly in two months as fuel prices spiked, the company’s e-mobility head has told TechCentral’s Watts & Wheels. Hilton Musk said usage climbed roughly 30% in a single month, then another 30% the month after. “We thought it was a fluke,” he said. “But it carried on.” Growth started levelling off in June, largely because importers have sold through their stock of affordable EVs. Rubicon, founded in Port Elizabeth in the mid-1980s as an electrical supplier to the likes of Volkswagen, now runs 125 chargers and wants a thousand within five years – about eight times its current footprint. The network turned profitable roughly a year ago, which Musk put down to concentrating on dense urban markets: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Bloemfontein. Around 90% of driving happens inside those hubs, he said, with the other 10% between them. The company has chargers on the N3 and N4 and opened the Durban-Cape Town route in 2024. The N1 remains GridCars territory. Musk expects public charging to take a larger share in South Africa than the 80/20 home-to-public split seen in mature markets – closer to 70/30 – because many EV owners live in complexes and estates with no charging. At R7/kWh, Rubicon’s DC charging works out to roughly R1/km, against about 50c/km on municipal power at home. Both undercut petrol comfortably. He is sticking with 2028 as the year battery-electric vehicles reach 5% of new passenger sales. Count hybrids and plug-ins, he said, and the market is nearly there already. Don’t miss the discussion.

3. 

   3 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Why electric trucks are beating electric cars to South Africa

   South Africa has still not crossed 1% of new vehicle sales going to electric vehicles, well short of the 5% mark at which adoption typically accelerates, The Electric Mission executive director Hiten Parmar told TechCentral’s Watts & Wheels with Wills. Parmar, who heads the non-profit advocacy body and co-founded the Southern African Electric Mobility Association, said the past three years have changed what is available locally. Battery-electric models are now selling below R400 000 and range has improved sharply. But 64% of cars sold in South Africa go for under R400 000, and import duties plus the ad valorem levy keep most electric models above that line. The commercial side is moving faster. Light-, medium-, heavy- and ultra-heavy-duty electric trucks are now available in South Africa rather than being promised in presentations, Parmar said, with fleets reporting total cost of ownership savings of up to 25%. The economics improve the further a vehicle travels, which makes high-mileage fleets the first adopters rather than the last. He pointed to the 12.5GW of private solar installed in South Africa by the end of 2025, on figures from the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, as an underused base for charging. Fleets can charge from their own generation during the day and fall back to the grid overnight. On manufacturing, Parmar said six of the seven passenger and light commercial vehicle manufacturers in South Africa now have batteries entering local production, and four have secured hybrid investments. What is missing is a tier-one battery cell supplier and an incentive framework for zero-emission vehicles to sit alongside the one government has run for local vehicle assembly since 1995. With European export markets tightening towards 2035, he said, the window for that decision is closing. Don’t miss the discussion!

4. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Winstone Jordaan on building a national EV charging network

   Winstone Jordaan was building charging infrastructure before South Africa had electric cars to plug into it. GridCars began developing its backend platform in 2010. The first EVs arrived in 2013. In this episode of Watts & Wheels with Wills, the GridCars founder tells William Kelly why the hardware was never the hard part. Working out where to put a charger and how much power to feed it is straightforward. Building the billing and roaming systems behind it is not. That is also the answer to a question drivers keep asking: why can’t you just tap a card? Because the network needs to know who you are. If a charger is faulty, or the power is about to go off, Jordaan wants to be able to call you. He is candid in the interview about the economics of building a national EV charging network. A charge point operator needs around a thousand chargers to be profitable, by calculation. South Africa has roughly 650 in total. A 24-hour call centre alone takes seven people. Long term, he expects 500 000 chargers for a car parc of 11 million vehicles. Jordaan also thinks adoption is about to accelerate sharply, and that the disruption will reach well beyond motoring. He recently told one industry gathering that a third of the room would be out of business within five years. On charging infrastructure as a reason not to buy an EV, he is clear about one thing: there are enough chargers. Thinking otherwise, he says, is just being poorly informed. Don’t miss the discussion.

5. 

   24 Aug 2026

   Watts & Wheels S1E8: ‘Tesla lands in Africa, just not here’

   Episode 8 of Watts & Wheels – TechCentral’s electric motoring show – opens with William Kelly on his soapbox, clipboard in hand, and a simple demand: keep left, pass right. Too many South African drivers, he argues, treat the left indicator as an invitation to be overtaken rather than a signal of intent, and lane discipline would save the country time, fuel and a great deal of frustration, he opines. Duncan McLeod wonders where enforcement of that sort ends – cameras and artificial intelligence deciding when you should pull over? – which leads neatly into the episode’s main interview. In episode 8, William and Duncan get stuck into: • An interview with Dillan Fernando, CEO of Tracker, on what a vehicle-tracking business becomes when cars generate far more data than a stolen-vehicle recovery unit ever needed – and what happens once AI is pointed at it. • The grid maths – William sets a total Eskom grid figure of roughly 47GW against a national fleet of about 13 million vehicles, of which only some 10 000 can be plugged in at all. His conclusion: EV charging is nowhere near being an Eskom problem, and on current trajectories most of us will not live to see the day it is. • EV education in South Africa – how much do buyers actually understand about what they are being sold, and whose job is it to tell them? • Volvo gets Gemini – Google’s assistant has begun rolling out to Volvo cars, starting in the US and reaching models going back to 2020. Fixed voice commands give way to something closer to conversation: brainstorming a holiday, finding a decent coffee stop on the route, summarising an incoming text and dictating a reply in another language, or simply asking for something calming on the stereo. • Tesla lands in Africa – in Casablanca – Morocco, not South Africa, is where Tesla has put its African base, with a corporate presence in Casablanca and a Supercharger network built out since 2021 across Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat, Fez, Marrakesh and Agadir. Its cars still cannot be bought through official channels here. Is Africa a sleeping EV giant? The hosts are unconvinced. • Trade deals and battery minerals – India signs a motor industry trade deal with the EU while, at home, Itac proposes bringing EV battery minerals into the list of qualifying standard materials under APDP2, at a standard value added rate of 50% against the usual 25%, provided they originate in Sacu or the SADC region. William’s question: is anyone actually going to build the batteries? • Mad Chinese cars – BYD’s Tang and the Denza B8, plus XPeng’s GX, the brand’s first three-row luxury SUV. • A moment of silence – too soon, Honda? The hosts mark the company’s retreat from its electric vehicle strategy. Also in the mix is the new metal heading for South African showrooms. The Jaecoo J5 and the iCaur are on the way, along with the BYD Atto 2 DM-i, a plug-in hybrid whose entry-level version carries a 7.8kWh Blade battery – a remarkably small pack for a car you are expected to plug in. It arrives loaded with equipment, which prompts a broader observation: Chinese brands have spoiled South African buyers so quickly that the goalposts have already moved. To contrast all that smoothness with something built for a purpose, there is the new Thula – the locally engineered electric game viewer that featured in episode 5 – back for another look. The episode closes with Hot or Not, where the Toyota FJ, the BYD Atto 2 DM-i, the iCaur and the Thula game viewer all go under the hammer. Watch S1E8 of Watts & Wheels now. Don’t forget to subscribe, and please share the show with your friends and colleagues.

6. 

   22 Jul 2026

   Everything you wanted to know about EVs but were afraid to ask

   In the latest episode of Watts & Wheels with Wills, host William Kelly is joined in the studio by Greg Cress, automotive and e-mobility industry lead at Accenture South Africa, and Gary Scott of Scottify -- two of the longest-serving voices in South Africa's electric vehicle scene, and co-authors of a new guide to buying and owning an EV. The guide was born of the basic questions that keep surfacing: what is a kilowatt-hour? Where will I charge, and will the plug fit? After a lifetime of mindless refuelling at petrol stations, charging is suddenly something owners must think about. The pair's advice is to demystify the maths. The cost and battery fears, they argue, are largely misplaced. Public fast-charging still works out at about 60% of the running cost of petrol, home charging closer to 25% -- and less still on solar. Early Teslas are passing 560 000km with battery health of 85-88%, no manufacturer offers a battery warranty shorter than eight years, and chemistry is advancing fast, from cheaper lithium-iron-phosphate cells to sodium-ion batteries now arriving. South Africa, the pair believe, is approaching its tipping point. The global oil shock has pushed EVs into the mainstream conversation -- and cleared dealer stock in the process. The official numbers understate the shift: industry association Naamsa counted just 1 088 battery-electric sales in 2025, but that excludes BYD and other Chinese brands that don't report locally -- and sales nearly doubled year on year in the first quarter of 2026. Counting the unreported brands, about 500 EVs are now being sold every month, the guests estimate, and Cress predicts about 6 000 for the year. True inflection -- 5% of new vehicle sales -- needs 2 000 sales month, with the under-R400 000 segment, where the pair say two-thirds of South African vehicle buying happens, the battleground to watch. Their advice for prospective buyers: know why you're in the market before falling for the shiny technology -- and above all, drive one. As Kelly puts it: if you haven't driven an EV, don't tell him they're rubbish. Don't miss a great discussion!

7. 

   20 Jul 2026

   Watts & Wheels with Wills: The rands-and-cents case for electric trucks

   Aeversa’s John Ford unpacks the rands-and-cents case for electric trucks in this first of a new interview series. TechCentral is proud to present the first episode of Watts & Wheels with Wills, our new interview show about electric vehicles and the fast-changing world of e-mobility in South Africa. In the debut episode, host William Kelly speaks to John Ford, sales manager at Aeversa, a fleet-focused electrification specialist helping some of South Africa's biggest logistics operators make the switch from diesel to electric. Ford’s central message is that electrifying a fleet is not about swapping every diesel truck for a battery-powered one. Each depot has its own energy profile – municipal tariff structures, grid capacity, demand charges and time-of-use rates – and the trick is matching the right vehicles, routes and charging strategies to each site. Get it right, he says, and the savings flow: solar charging over midday, battery storage to bridge expensive evening peaks and cheap off-peak grid power overnight. The numbers from Aeversa’s work with Takealot Fulfilment Services – the e-commerce giant’s logistics arm – back him up. What began in 2022 as a single imported electric truck covering 15 000km in a proof-of-concept trial grew to a 10-vehicle pilot that delivered an average 14% saving in total cost of ownership – before any solar or battery storage was added. With the fleet expanded to 21 vehicles and renewables in the mix, average savings climbed to 16%, peaking at 22% in some months. Today the fleet numbers 35 vehicles consuming about 1.2GWh/year, with solar providing 60-82% of that energy. Aeversa expects savings of 18-20% on average – and, with global oil prices rattled by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially more than 30%. “When you go electric, you can use those savings to expand your fleet or invest in solar and battery storage – and that adds more savings. It’s a self-fulfilling cycle,” said Ford. Don't miss a great discussion!

8. 

   8 Jul 2026

   Watts & Wheels S1E7: 'Ferrari's EV breaks the internet'

   Episode 7 of Watts & Wheels – TechCentral's electric motoring show – opens with mock outrage: the South African Car of the Year results are in, and the Alfa Romeo Junior didn't take the overall title. Hosts William Kelly and Duncan McLeod demand a recount – though they concede the Junior's best design win takes some of the sting out of a competition in which Chinese brands claimed half the categories, with the Jetour T2 named overall winner. In episode 7, William and Duncan get stuck into: Ferrari's first EV – and the meme storm that greeted it. Is the departure from Maranello DNA brave or bewildering? And with Jony Ive involved in the design, are we looking at a glimpse of the Apple car that never was? How to build a car, part 2 – continuing last episode's deep dive, William unpacks how "local content value" really works, why local plants no longer build the sub-R400 000 cars that make up 64% of South African sales – and why the tariff question is becoming impossible to ignore as India signs a trade deal with Europe and Morocco builds EV factories. An interview with Mike Whitfield, CEO of Stellantis South Africa, on the group's plans for the local market – including a possible play in micromobility. The death of the subscription model – why paying monthly for heated seats deserved to fail, and how all-inclusive Chinese cars helped kill it. Robotaxis get real – Hyundai's Motional targets Las Vegas by end-2026, while Tesla's full self-driving goes live on European roads. Solid-state batteries – Finland's Donut Lab claims 400Wh/kg and a website – donutbelieve.com – to prove the sceptics wrong. Mad Chinese cars – a gargantuan luxury SUV with zero-gravity massage seats (foot massage included) and BYD's Fang Cheng Bao two-seater – the electric sports car the hosts reckon Ferrari should have built. The episode closes with Hot or Not, where the Ferrari EV and Toyota's R1.18-million bZ4X – the company's first battery-electric model for South Africa – both feel the heat. Watch S1E6 of Watts & Wheels now. Don’t forget to subscribe, and please share the show with your friends and colleagues.

9. 

   17 Jun 2026

   S1E6: ‘A flawless Alfa and a bakkie that divides’

   Episode 6 of Watts & Wheels – TechCentral’s electric motoring show – sees hosts William Kelly and Duncan McLeod wade into the most opaque corner of the South African car market: tariffs, subsidies and what they really cost the people buying the cars. William opens with a deep dive into why locally sold vehicles are priced the way they are, unpacking the difference between SKD (semi-knocked-down) and CKD (completely-knocked-down) assembly, the all-important “local content value” that drives a car maker’s tariffs and incentives, and why economies of scale make it so hard for a country building thousands of cars a year to compete with rivals building millions. The episode’s centrepiece is an interview with Donald MacKay, CEO of XA Global Trade Advisors, who demystifies how South Africa’s automotive support regime has worked since the late 1990s – and who actually pays for it. The hosts then turn to the Chinese surge in local showrooms: Chinese brands already accounting for roughly 15% of the market once GWM, MG and others are counted in; and a run through the best-sellers, led by the Chery Tiggo 4. Then it’s review time. William drives the all-electric Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce – 207kW, made in Poland, yours for R995 000 – and falls hopelessly in love (it’s rather sad to watch, if we’re honest). Also in the mix: a jaw-dropping Volvo safety clip in which an EX60 is launched – airborne – into a steel pole; and a Rory Sutherland-inspired riff on why the self-driving car isn’t really a car at all but a “room on wheels” – a mobile office, a meeting room, even an income-generating asset – plus what an acceptable robot-driver accident rate should look like next to human drivers. The show closes with Hot or Not.

10. 

    8 Jun 2026

    Watts & Wheels S1E5: ‘A Bentley of the bush and a car that swims’

    After a few months away, Watts & Wheels returns for the fifth episode of season 1, with William Kelly in studio and Duncan McLeod dialling in from the Southern Cape. Watch episode 5 now In episode 5, William and Duncan dive into: • The new Suzuki Across, an entry-level SUV priced from R350 000 to R465 000 that squares up against Suzuki’s own Grand Vitara – and the welcome return of physical knobs and buttons, a trend Volkswagen is following, too. • Dongfeng’s expanding EV range – the Nami 01, Nami 06 and E3 – a clutch of sub-R500 000 models turning up the heat in South Africa’s budget EV price war. • Why fuel pain may be a tipping point: AutoTrader reports a jump in EV searches after the latest petrol and diesel hikes, with cheap used EVs vanishing fast. • The spiralling cost of car ownership, from ad valorem “bracket creep” to research showing it takes nearly 15 000 minimum-wage hours to buy a VW Polo locally, against roughly 1 600 in the UK. • A Polo milestone – 500 000 of the current generation exported – and finance minister Enoch Godongwana lifting the ministerial car price cap to R1.1-million. • Whether Johannesburg’s City Power should be rolling out public EV chargers while it struggles to keep the lights on. The “Crazy Chinese” segment serves up a Yangwang – BYD’s luxury arm – swimming across a lake, before the episode’s highlight: an in-studio interview with Gary Davies, the South African behind a purpose-built electric game-viewing vehicle. Dubbed the “Bentley of the bush”, it pairs a 63kWh battery and two 150kW motors with clip-on body panels and a biomimicry-inspired cooling fan, engineered locally with the University of Pretoria. William then lives with Leapmotor’s C10 range-extended EV for a week and comes away pleasantly surprised – seriously comfortable, remarkably quiet and frugal, if let down by a fiddly key and an all-touchscreen cabin.

11. 

    10 Feb 2026

    Watts & Wheels S1E4: ‘We drive an electric Uber’

    The fourth episode of TechCentral’s electric motoring show, Watts & Wheels, covers a packed news agenda, two vehicle reviews and an in-depth look at the 2026 South African Car of the Year semi-finalists. The episode opens with the latest EV news, including fresh import duty statistics from Donald McKay of XA Global Trade Advisors and a closer look at BAIC’s claims of local manufacturing – with the hosts questioning just how “made in South Africa” its vehicles really are, given a reported seven-to-one difference factor in jobs created. Also in the news segment: Zero Carbon Charge's latest fundraising efforts, the launch of Uber Go Electric – a notably affordable option powered by Valternative – and the latest developments in autonomous driving technology. The show features two review segments this week. First up is the Riddara RD6 electric bakkie, followed by a hands-on driving experience with one of Valternative’s electric Uber vehicles – Duncan McLeod plays Uber driver and gives a lift to a grumpy Prince William. The Valternative segment is complemented by an interview with the company’s CEO, Mahomed Jeewa, who discusses the firm’s ambitions in the electric ride-hailing space. A major talking point is the announcement of the 2026 Car of the Year semi-finalists. The hosts run through the full list, highlighting the growing presence of Chinese brands among the contenders – a notable shift in a competition won last year by the BMW X3. They close by pondering who might take the 2026 Car of the Year crown. The episode wraps up with the popular Hot or Not segment, in which the hosts give their verdicts on the Riddara, Uber Go Electric and the Volvo EX60, which has been confirmed for a South African launch later this year.

12. 

    30 Jan 2026

    S1E3: ‘BYD’s Corolla Cross challenger’

    TechCentral’s electric car show Watts & Wheels is back for episode 3 of season 1, and while EVs remain the focus, the conversation takes a detour into something far less planet-friendly – and far more jaw-dropping. Duncan McLeod and co-host William Kelly kick off by drooling over a wild new Toyota performance machine they say is real, street legal and due in 2027. It’s a 4l hybrid V8, rear-wheel drive “hypercar” with supercar proportions and serious numbers: 478kW and a quoted top speed of 320km/h or more. It’s the sort of car that feels entirely out of character for Toyota – and that’s exactly why they can’t stop talking about it. From there, the conversation swings hard in the other direction: the all-electric Porsche Cayenne, which is shaping up as a huge statement from Stuttgart. The hosts discuss its performance claims – including a 0-100km/h sprint in the mid-2s range – and a range figure north of 600km. They also debate the realities of EV depreciation and whether buyer anxiety around battery longevity is starting to fade as real-world data shows high-mileage EVs retaining strong battery health. The episode then turns to Ford CEO Jim Farley’s candid admission that big, expensive EV trucks haven’t delivered as hoped – and why legacy car makers may need to refocus on smaller, more affordable models. The discussion touches on Ford’s partnership with Renault on EVs, and what that could mean for markets like South Africa. But the meatiest local segment is BYD’s push into South Africa with an aggressive product and charging strategy. William and Duncan unpack their impressions of the BYD Sealion 5 plug-in hybrid – positioned as a direct rival to the Toyota Corolla Cross – and criticise the lack of technical detail shared at its launch. They also discuss BYD’s planned roll-out of a major charging network, including megawatt-scale sites, and what that could mean for shrinking range anxiety. The episode closes with the show’s “Hot or Not” segment – and one clear takeaway: 2026 is shaping up as a pivotal year for electrification, even as petrolhead fantasies refuse to die. Watch S1E3 of Watts & Wheels now – and don’t forget to subscribe.

13. 

    23 Jan 2026

    S1E2: ‘China attacks, BMW digs in, Toyota’s sublime supercar’

    Chinese car makers continue their rapid push into the South African market, raising uncomfortable questions for incumbents. With aggressive pricing, fast product cycles and increasingly polished vehicles, the competitive landscape is shifting faster than many expected. There is also an update on Stellantis’s manufacturing plans and what they could mean for South Africa’s position in global automotive supply chains. The discussion turns to plug-in hybrids, which are emerging as a key battleground. The Omoda C9 PHEV and Haval H6 GT PHEV are discussed as examples of how Chinese brands are targeting buyers not yet ready to go fully electric. Duncan and William chat about two new vehicles in South Africa: the Leapmotor C10 (and why William hates the term REEV) and the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica (which William is prepared to give a kidney to own). And then there’s the Toyota GR GT. Duncan explains why this supercar has him seriously questioning his principles – and why some petrol cars are still capable of making rational people do irrational things.

14. 

    8 Jan 2026

    Watts & Wheels S1E1: 'William, Prince of Wheels'

    TechCentral’s motoring show, Watts & Wheels, is officially back, with the first full episode of season 1 widening the lens beyond new cars to look at the forces reshaping South Africa’s automotive industry. The first episode of season 1 – you can catch our “season 0” episodes here – opens with a sharp focus on South African Auto Week, where the pressure on local vehicle manufacturers dominated discussions. Original equipment manufacturers are facing a tough balancing act as imports rise while local assembly plants wrestle with costs, scale and uncertainty. From policy to products, the show then shifts gears to tyre maker Bridgestone, which has launched new tyre offerings for the South African market. In an interview, Jacques Rikhotso, CEO of Bridgestone South Africa, unpacks how changing vehicle technologies – including heavier EVs – are influencing tyre design, durability and safety. Chinese brands also feature prominently. A dramatic crash test involving the Chery Tiggo 9 Pro highlights the rapid strides Chinese manufacturers are making in safety engineering. Meanwhile, BYD continues to push the boundaries of EV infrastructure, announcing plans for a 1MW ultra-fast charging network, championed by BYD executive Stella Li. Adventure meets electrification with a discussion on Volvo EX30 Cross Country, which recently tackled the iconic Sani Pass – a symbolic moment for EV capability in rugged African conditions. On the new-car front, the team runs through arrivals and upcoming launches including the BYD Dolphin Surf and the forthcoming Volvo EX60. The review spotlight falls on the Lexus GX550, described as the “anti-EV”: a traditional, petrol-powered luxury off-roader that doubles down on ruggedness rather than electrification. Rounding out the episode is an interview with Andrew Kirby, CEO of Toyota South Africa, and we speculate on the electric vehicle models Toyota is likely to introduce into the local market in 2026.

15. 

    11 Aug 2025

    Watts & Wheels Ep 3: 'We drive the new Dongfeng Box'

    The Dongfeng Box electric city runabout has landed in South Africa, and Watts & Wheels has taken the vehicle – one of the cheapest electric cars currently on sale in the country – for a test drive. One of China’s biggest and oldest motoring manufacturers, the state-owned Dongfeng Motor Corporation has identified South Africa as a key export market and, through E Auto Motor, has launched the brand in South Africa – starting with the Dongfeng Box, whose pricing begins at R460 000. Watts & Wheels hosts William Kelly and Duncan McLeod take the Box for a drive around Johannesburg and share their thoughts on this intriguing and relatively low-cost hatchback designed for urban and city driving. Also in this final episode of the three-part pilot season of Watts & Wheel, William and Duncan get animated about: • The state of the EV charging infrastructure market in South Africa – and is it getting overtraded?; • A new report on EV sales in South Africa over the next five years; • Chery’s reporting plans to build a car plant in South Africa; • The challenges at Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s East London production plant, especially in the light of US President Donald Trump’s tariff wars; • Tesla’s challenge to the like of Waymo – a look at Elon Musk’s determination to win in autonomous ride-hailing services; • Xiaomi’s beautiful YU7 and how it’s going toe-to-toe with Tesla in China; • What’s happening at Porsche; and • Christian Horner’s exit at Red Bull Racing. Don’t miss this episode.

16. 

    4 Aug 2025

    Watts & Wheels Ep 2: ‘We test drive the Riddara electric bakkie’

    Enviro Automotive has launched the Riddara RD6, South Africa’s first fully electric 4x4 bakkie – and Watts & Wheels has taken it for a test drive. In episode 2 of Watts & Wheels – the brand-new South Africa motoring show from TechCentral (subscribe on YouTube) – hosts William Kelly and Duncan McLeod throw the Riddara around some corners and chat with Enviro Automotive’s Francois Malan about why the company has introduced the Geely Auto-owned brand in South Africa. If you miss Ep 1 of Watts & Wheels, catch it here. Also in this week’s episode of Watts & Wheels: • Ford’s beastly new Ranger Raptor vs BYD’s Shark 6 sprint to the chequered flag (can you guess which one won?); • What to expect at SA Auto Week in Gqeberha in October amid immense pressure on the local motor manufacturing industry; • Why William thinks Ashok Leyland’s new “no-frills” EV truck could prove to be a big hit in South Africa; • Huawei’s new supercar, the Maextro S800, developed in collaboration with JAC Group, and why we’re excited about it; • Why Xiaomi’s new SU7 Ultra sportscar should have Porsche and even Rimac concerned; and • The flying cars are here (well, kind of). Subscribe to the channel on YouTube and never miss an episode!

17. 

    28 Jul 2025

    Watts & Wheels Ep 1: ‘BYD Shark 6 and the electric bakkie revolution’

    This is Watts & Wheels, a new motoring show hosted by motoring journalist (and “buzzhead” – or is that “electronhead”?) William Kelly and TechCentral editor (and wannabe EV owner) Duncan McLeod. With a focus on the shift to electric motoring, the pilot season of Watts & Wheels consists of three episodes. The focus of the show is the “lived EV experience”, with the aim of helping “dispel some of the misconceptions” about owning and driving an EV in South Africa. What else can you expect from Watts & Wheels? We’ll look at the latest EV models – from mild hybrids to plug-in hybrids and full battery-electric vehicles – making their way to South African shores. We’ll also test drive many of them for the show. We’ll also look at the business of motoring, and the challenges and opportunities facing the local industry amid the tectonic shifts that are remaking the global automotive sector, including the rapid rise of Chinese EV brands. Whether you’re pondering your first EV purchase, are keen to understand the nuances of local charging networks or are simply fascinated by the future of sustainable transport, let Watts & Wheels be your guide. In episode 1, William and Duncan dive into: • The different types of new energy vehicles available in South Africa, explaining terms like EV, BEV, HEV, PHEV and REEV. What do they all mean, and how are prospective buyers to choose between these technologies? • Should consumers really be worried about long-term battery health in EVs? Spoiler alert: no! In fact, the data now shows battery endurance in EVs has been vastly underestimated. • The power of VTOL, or vehicle-to-load, technology and how it can be used to power everything from a kettle to your house. • The electrification of bakkies, including a look at BYD’s exciting new Shark 6 PHEV (and whether it can beat the monstrous 3l Ford Raptor from a standing start to 100km/h); Nissan’s sexy Frontier PHEV (not confirmed for South Africa); and Ford’s new PHEV Ranger (made in Silverton in Pretoria). • The controversial Jaguar Type 00 – and why William thinks why the critics have it completely wrong. If you like what you see, please subscribe to Watts & Wheels on YouTube – and share the word with family and friends. It’s also available as an audio podcast in your favourite podcasting app. In episode 2, out next week, look out for an exclusive look at – and first media test drive of – South Africa’s first 4x4 fully electric bakkie.

Inside a recent episode

Why electric trucks are beating electric cars to South Africa

Published 3 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Now, when you look at charging for fleets as well, there's an opportunity there because traditionally you'll have to go and take your truck or whatever it is to fuel up. Whereas now when you're loading cargo or offloading cargo, there's an opportunity to charge within that. So it requires some route planning on that. But yeah, that's where charging comes into it. So I want to touch on the total cost of ownership here, because as I think we both agree, mathematics rules the world, right? So you've got to get your math right. So if we're talking total cost of ownership, does that also include the total cost of installing charging infrastructure and running that charging infrastructure and maintaining that charging infrastructure, given now that I own my own fuel pump, which is what the charging infrastructure is within my own fleet? […]

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Watts & Wheels