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Electric or petrol: which car should you import from China?

The cheapest Electric here is $3,800 against $3,600 for the cheapest Petrol. A typical Electric runs $17,000, a typical Petrol $11,000. The catalogue holds 130 on the Electric side and 201 on the Petrol side. Add about $2,250 for sea freight to Tema, Ghana; import duty and clearance are separate and paid by the buyer on arrival. Petrol, for most West African buyers, and the reason is charging rather than the car. An electric car landed in a city with unreliable grid power and no public charging is a car that has to be charged at home, overnight, from a supply that may not hold. Petrol also buys more car at the bottom of the market. Electric makes sense when the buyer has their own reliable power or solar, drives short urban distances, and wants the running cost: no fuel, far less servicing. Ask what the car will be charged from before you ask what it costs.

ElectricPetrol
In stock130201
Cheapest$3,800$3,600
Typical$17,000$11,000
Dearest$57,000$33,000
Typical, with freight$19,000$13,000

Electric. Battery cars from the Chinese domestic market, where they are now the majority of new sales. Cheap to run, dependent on charging.

Petrol. Combustion cars, refuellable anywhere, serviceable by any mechanic, and cheaper at the bottom of the range.

“Typical” is the median, not the average: a make spanning an older sedan and a current flagship has no meaningful average. “With freight” adds a flat sea-freight estimate to Tema, Ghana; import duty, customs clearance and inland delivery are paid by the buyer on arrival.

Electric, cheapest first

#VehiclePrice
1Wuling Hongguang MINIEV Hatchback, 2020
2020 · 28,000 km · BEV
$3,800
$6,100
2Baojun E100 Sedan, 2019
64,100 km
$4,400
$6,600
3Wuling Hongguang MINIEV Hatchback, 2021
2021 · 43,000 km · BEV
$4,500
$6,700
4Renault City K-ZE SUV, 2019
2019 · 40,000 km · BEV
$5,600
$7,800
5NETA V SUV, 2022
2022 · 110,000 km · BEV
$5,800
$8,000

Petrol, cheapest first

#VehiclePrice
1Baojun 510 1.5L SUV, 2017
2017 · 120,000 km · Petrol
$3,600
$5,900
2Nissan Teana 2.5L Sedan, 2010
2010 · 243,156 km · Petrol
$3,700
$6,000
3BAIC Motor 2.0L SUV, 2013
2013 · 17,361 km · Petrol
$4,100
$6,400
4Roewe i5 1.5L Sedan, 2021
2021 · 150,000 km · Petrol
$4,200
$6,400
5Geely Binray 1.0T Sedan, 2019
2019 · 70,000 km · Petrol
$4,500
$6,700
WhatsAppWhat importing costs

Questions buyers ask

What is the battery condition on a used Chinese electric car?

State of health is measured per vehicle, not per model, so it is checked before purchase and reported with the quote for the specific car rather than published on the listing.

Can an electric car be charged from a normal house supply?

Yes, from a standard socket, but slowly: a full charge that way is an overnight job and sometimes longer. A wall charger cuts that to a few hours and needs an installer and a supply that can carry it.

Do electric cars pay less import duty?

In some countries, yes. Several West African states have reduced duty on electric vehicles to encourage them, but the rates change and are set nationally, so check with your own customs authority rather than relying on any figure quoted online.

Are both left-hand drive?

Yes. Cars built for the Chinese domestic market are left-hand drive, which suits Nigeria, Ghana and most of West Africa. Neither is suited to right-hand-drive markets such as Kenya or Tanzania.

Are import duty and customs clearance included?

No. Every figure here covers the goods and the sea freight to your port of discharge. Import duty, clearance and inland delivery are paid by the buyer on arrival, and the rate depends on your country.

Do I pay anything on this website?

No. The site takes no payment and holds no deposit. A request for quote creates no obligation, and nothing is charged until terms are agreed directly with a sourcing manager.