♻️ How Much Could You Save Going Electric...?

Hi there,

Robotics company Figure got Arnold Schwarzenegger to help give one of its old model robots a proper send-off. Furnace, thumbs-up, the works — Terminator fans will know.

And apparently the whole thing was Arnie’s idea.

Back in the real world, petrol went past R30 a litre this week for the first time. So we did the maths on whether an electric car actually saves you money now, and when it doesn't.

We also look at:

Hit reply and tell us what you're driving. Petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric, we want to know.

Justin, Kobus and Rowen

Filled up this week?

Inland 95 petrol went up R3.33 on Wednesday to R30.25 a litre, the first time it has ever passed R30. A 50-litre tank now costs about R167 more than it did last month. At the coast it's R29.38, and coastal petrol is up almost 48% since March.

So, is it finally time to go electric?

Here's the maths…

A car that uses 7.5 litres per 100km now costs about R2.27 a kilometre in fuel inland. Charging an electric car at home works out to roughly R0.66 a kilometre, depending on your tariff.

That's about R1.60 saved on every kilometre. Drive 1,500km a month, and it adds up to around R2,400 a month, or close to R29,000 a year.

Most South African EV owners charge at home. A 7.4kW wallbox costs R10,000 to R14,000 installed, and it needs a registered electrician and a Certificate of Compliance, same as a geyser timer.

No home charging, no maths. If you live in a flat or complex without a charger, public charging costs more and the saving shrinks fast.

The running costs win easily. The purchase price is where it gets harder, though that’s moved fast. One of South Africa’s cheapest EVs is the Geely E2 at R339,900, and the price includes a wallbox home charger. It undercuts the BYD Dolphin Surf by R2,000, with a claimed range of 325km on a charge. Second-hand is opening up too: used EV sales have doubled.

If a full EV feels like too big a leap, you’re not alone. Plug-in hybrid sales rose 487% in the first half of 2026, making them the fastest-growing vehicle type in the country — a plug-in drives on electricity for shorter trips and switches to petrol for longer ones.

That changes the maths. The R1.60-per-kilometre saving only applies to the kilometres you drive on electricity. Short daily trips and a nightly charge, and most of your driving can be electric. Regular long trips, and you’re back to paying for petrol. Plug-ins aren’t cheap either, with the best sellers here costing around R600,000 to R800,000.

MONEY R2.27 of every litre you buy goes to the RAF. Government is now considering cutting the levy and moving part of the funding to compulsory third-party insurance. Nothing's decided yet. Signal: EVs pay none of it today. If funding moves to a per-car model, that changes.

AUTOMATION Apple is reportedly building a smart home range with LG. A smart lock, thermostat, doorbell and cameras, reportedly LG-branded, alongside a hub with a 6-inch screen. A reveal is rumoured for 13 October. Signal: If you're about to buy into a smart home system, it might be worth waiting a week to see this first.

SAFE AND SOUND Truecaller's new Scam Checker can't yet tell you if an SA site is safe. In MyBroadband's test, every co(dot)za site came back "Unknown", including all the major banks. Signal: "Unknown" isn't a verdict. Don't read it as safe.

CONNECTIVITY WhatsApp is testing chats your other devices can't read. Turn on Restricted Chats, and only your phone can open that conversation. It also blocks exports, auto-saving and Meta AI. Signal: It's still in beta. When it lands, use it for the chats you'd least want on a shared laptop.

AUTOMATION Researchers can already rebuild what you're picturing from your brainwaves. A new manifesto on brain-computer interfaces argues they're how humans keep up with AI, not get left behind. Signal: Fascinating long read, nothing you can buy yet.

A phone in your hand makes you a target at the forecourt and a danger on the road. This one keeps it out of your hand without you having to remember.

01 Open Settings and tap Focus. If Driving isn't listed, tap +, add Driving, then tap Customise Focus.

02 Tap Driving, then While Driving under Turn On Automatically. Choose When Connected to Car Bluetooth.

03 Go back, tap Auto-Reply and choose who gets it: Recents, Favourites or All Contacts.

04 Get in the car and connect. The Driving icon should appear on your lock screen.

Calls still come through when you're connected to the car's Bluetooth. Most Android phones have a driving mode too, but where you'll find it depends on the brand.

Every year, the South African Intruder Detection Services Association (SAIDSA) puts armed response officers from across the country through Reaction Man, its national competition for the people who show up when your alarm goes off. Regional rounds ran through August, and the winning teams from each region went on to a grand finale in Gauteng.

Olarm was one of this year’s sponsors, and you can get a taste of the action from this vid of the Cape Town leg…

Coming up

The Risk Management Forum Conference · 22 October · Emperor's Palace, Kempton Park. South African voices on governance, security and strategic risk.

Three for the car this week, given what petrol just did. The REDTIGER saves you R2,070, the biggest saving here. And the Xbox is R794 cheaper on Amazon than at HiFi Corp.