The Geely E2 has arrived in Mzansi. Here’s what you need to know about South Africa’s new most affordable EV…
Available with the choice of two trim grades — Aspire and Apex — the Geely E2 exclusively employs a single electric-motor powertrain, coupled with a 39.4 kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack. The rear-mounted e-motor produces 85 kW and 150 N.m of torque — good for a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of 11.5 seconds and a 130 km/h top speed. The Chinese automaker claims an operating range of “up to” 325 km on a single, full charge. The energy consumption is rated at 15.2 kWh/100 km.
The E2’s LFP battery can receive up to 70 kW at a DC fast-charging facility. According to Geely, a 30 to 80 per cent DC charge takes around 25 minutes. A 10 to 100 per cent AC charge takes around 6.5 hours, the firm says.
The E2 stands 1 580 mm tall, 1 805 mm wide, and 4 135 mm long. The E2’s wheelbase measures 2 650 mm in length. The Aspire variant rolls on a set of 15-inch steel wheels, replete with “aero” covers, while the Apex derivative features 16-inch alloy items in a two-tone paint finish.
The E2’s interior plays host to a variety of nice-to-have items as standard — the latter including a 14.6-inch, touch-enabled infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone screen mirroring, and an 8.8-inch digital driver’s display. All models ship with keyless entry and start, manual air conditioning, a rear-view camera setup and aft park distance sensors as standard.
Aspire grade features fabric upholstery for the seats and a four-speaker sound system, with Apex spec upgrading to synthetic leather trim and a six-speaker audio unit. The Apex model also gains electric adjustment for the driver’s pew, a wireless smartphone charging tray, ambient lighting, a 360-degree surround-view camera array, and a suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning.
ABS, electronic stability control (ESC), traction control, hill-start assist, tyre pressure monitoring and six airbags are included across the board.
The E2’s interior features “more than” 30 storage compartments. Geely claims a boot capacity of 375 litres, which expands to 1 320 litres when folding down the rear backrests. The front luggage compartment offers a claimed 70 litres of packing space.
How much does the Geely E2 cost in South Africa?
The Geely E2 is priced from R339 900 for the Aspire model and R389 900 for the Apex derivative. Pricing includes a four-year/150 000 km vehicle warranty, eight-year/200 000 km battery warranty and a five-year/100 000 km service plan. A wallbox home charger is also included with the purchase.
