Chinese car maker Chery has announced that it will introduce a range of new energy vehicles (NEV) to the South African market in 2024. It did not specify which models will be introduced but stated that it plans to import hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), battery electric (BEV) and other NEV models into international markets in the coming year.
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“Chery has outperformed the South African market consistently over the past two years, and we believe that we can further accelerate our sales performance by entering the NEV market.
“As our short history in South Africa has shown, we do not simply enter a new market segment with a new model. We compete aggressively by offering some of the best specifications, the best possible warranty and the best possible range of value-added products.
“This has allowed us not only to win sales from competitor brands but also to grow the market segment that we have entered,” says Tony Liu, deputy executive general manager of Chery South Africa.Liu’s comments are pertinent to the South African NEV market segment, which has remained quite small compared to the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) market.
In China, Chery has seen significant sales growth in the NEV market with its range of PHEV and BEV models. This includes its new Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles.
For instance, in November Chery sold 212,076 vehicles. This is an increase of 111% over the same month last year and it is an all-time monthly record for the brand. Total sales for Chery in 2023, including PHEV and EV models in its domestic market, are up by 47.8% to 1,665,626 vehicles.
