₦airaland Forum

Agugbadin:
This is your personal opinion, what we are looking for is reliability. An ops here has just told us his experience with Hijet a popular brand used for transport, how he top oil every day. Let those who have bought and used one for a year share their experience here..

Hijet is Japanese.

skydancer:
Think about when the first phones started coming, before then the only thing people were worried about in phones was the strength of the signal because there were not many masts. But over time, masts were everywhere and the next innovation was now the smart phone and how long the battery could last, soon that was no longer a big deal and now the biggest issue to worry about is the screen in case of accidental falls. Very soon I'm pretty sure it'll be easy to charge them with Solar and people may open solar charging stations where you can even swap batteries like POS if they become popular. What often turns out to become a worry in these innovations is never what people expect. In the case of EVs, it's not yet clear what it will be yet because pretty soon there'll be charging stations everywhere if they continue making better cars than fuel cars - which is almost inevitable. Everyone wants a smartphone and EVs are obviously the future of smart cars. I haven't seen anything that suggests that they will be less durable in the long term except in the same way that you would not use an iphone for over 5 years (it will simply be outdated by then). So they may lose value over time because there are newer versions but same will happen to older american cars as these new cars flood the market.

As far as brand is concerned, the main thing to check is the car rating online/user reviews. BYD is a leader in China like Toyota but that doesn't mean they can hoard innovation like America. As far as the car is sold in Europe/has a branch there, it has to pass safety features.

Thank you 😊 again for answering my questions.
I really appreciate this detailed information.

We all know that full EV and self-driven cars exists in the Western world, I'm positive that in the nearest future for Nigeria, this technology will stay and there'd be charging stations everywhere like you rightly said.

It appears BYD has great reviews cos I know a lot of people talk positively about the brand.

Thank you very much again.🙏

GloriousGbola:
My question further is, what happens to an electric vehicle when it stops abruptly on the road and there's no charging station ⛽ nearby?

if you have run out of power, you will have to tow the car to a location. alternatively, you can carry a generator with a type1 or tye 2 charger to charge the car for two hours [enough range to get to a charging point. bottom line, make sure you have enough juice when you set out]. if your car dies on the road, there is a risk that the battery [they also have a 12v battery ] will die as well. this is a biugger problem because that is required to run the cars systems and the car will not charge if this is dead.

Does it have like an inverter or electric battery whatsoever that can be used? Can a full EV be used for long distances, like inter-state travels?
this depends on the car. you will typically see the range you can go on the dashboard. interstate is not a good idea unless you have your own portable charger [ this will be very slow]. right now it is only lagos and abuja and maybe ph that have companies with charging networks


From everything i have read, the chinese have already won the ev race. it is protectionism that is holding them at bay in the us. however in nigeria, there is the issue where they often at the request of their partners ship low quality items so your byd here may not have the exact same quality as the china or eu model. also no tokunbo so you are looking at 80m plus.

I'm asking because I remember when Nigerians were really crazy about CNG. I think the hype is also dwindling pretty fast as well.


as a guy working with cng - CNG is very very big and stations are being rolled out everyday. a lot of trucks have transitioned and the real issue is building a cng sales network - which all partues are investing in big time

_{we do some support work for an ev company in lagos}

G.G thanks for your input.

1. Oh wow. Imagine this EV stop in an unknown location in Sagamu or Iseyin? That won't be funny though.

2. Now, I've clarified that charging stations are only available in major cities and not ideal for inter state travels.

3. Hmmm 🤔. It's not ideal to ship low quality items here regarding EV. It won't be fair for the users if the BYD China is different from the BYD here in Nigeria in terms of quality.

4. Oh nice. I remember 2024-2025, there was much ado about CNG and it was literally splattered on our faces, this 2026 I haven't heard much about it. It's good to know that a lot of trucks have transitioned to using CNG.

Thank you GGg.

folake4u:
G.G thanks for your input.

1. Oh wow. Imagine this EV stop in an unknown location in Sagamu or Iseyin? That won't be funny though.

2. Now, I've clarified that charging stations are only available in major cities and not ideal for inter state travels.

3. Hmmm 🤔. It's not ideal to ship low quality items here regarding EV. It won't be fair for the users if the BYD China is different from the BYD here in Nigeria in terms of quality.

4. Oh nice. I remember 2024-2025, there was much ado about CNG and it was literally splattered on our faces, this 2026 I haven't heard much about it. It's good to know that a lot of trucks have transitioned to using CNG.

Thank you GGg.

There are some other issues that will come up

We are going to have electricity deregulation sooner or later. When this happens cost of charging will go up

Home chargers are typically 7kw which is two acs and will take 4 to 8 hours to charge your car. Maybe not an issue because anyone who can pay 80m down can afford to run 5 or 6 acs over night

The charging stations are an issue though. Your fast charger that can charge a car in 30 minutes is 60kw which is 75kva. So if you want to deploy it has to be at a place with a very robust power supply. Right now that is mainly tier 1 hotels and large supermarkets. No one else likely has 75kva spare capacity just lying around. Certainly not petrol stations that are always trying to reduce their energy costs. Small gen during the day, larger gen at night.

In the 2000s Kia had a solid safety rating in the West as they were chasing market. But the kias sold in Nigeria did not come with air bags to drive the cost down. Na so e dey go.

I have spent the last two days looking for a particluar electrical component. All the sellers have it on their website, but when you meet with them na the lower spec version dem dey sell.

GloriousGbola:
There are some other issues that will come up

We are going to have electricity deregulation sooner or later. When this happens cost of charging will go up

Home chargers are typically 7kw which is two acs and will take 4 to 8 hours to charge your car. Maybe not an issue because anyone who can pay 80m down can afford to run 5 or 6 acs over night

The charging stations are an issue though. Your fast charger that can charge a car in 30 minutes is 60kw which is 75kva. So if you want to deploy it has to be at a place with a very robust power supply. Right now that is mainly tier 1 hotels and large supermarkets. No one else likely has 75kva spare capacity just lying around. Certainly not petrol stations that are always trying to reduce their energy costs. Small gen during the day, larger gen at night.

In the 2000s Kia had a solid safety rating in the West as they were chasing market. But the kias sold in Nigeria did not come with air bags to drive the cost down. Na so e dey go.

I have spent the last two days looking for a particluar electrical component. All the sellers have it on their website, but when you meet with them na the lower spec version dem dey sell.

Eshe gan.
Merci beaucoup.
Daalu.
Nagode sosai.
Thank you, for this explanation.

EV cars is the future of smart cars and apparently, it has come to stay.

Lol sorry about that. Or will you buy the electric components on Amazon?

Greenodds:
It's already happening, they are gradually losing market share. Just pay attention to your roads, you'll be surprised to notice a lot of these cars, they already replaced what is supposed to be honda or Toyota or Benz etc. Its just a matter of time the only customers they will have are those that patronise just for the brand. It might be a different story for established reliable brands like Toyota and honda, but if Chinese cars prove themselves over the years to be reliable no reasonable person will pay a premium to get that same or better reliability.

I’m not saying Chinese brands won’t gain market share, but he said in 5 years they will outshadow legacy brands.
But me personally I’ve never seen anyone say their dream car is a Chinese brand, I’ve not had anyone I know buy a Chinese car over a Benz, Range Rover or Honda. Funny thing is most of these legacy brands don’t even have official service centers in Nigeria and some of these Chinese brands do yet people don’t choose them.
Don’t get me wrong I know a lot about these Chinese brands, I keep up very well and they’re genuinely breaking the mold in almost every category of the industry except brand loyalty and reliability. The cars just lack identity.
If you hear Benz, you know it’s semi-luxury with a wonderful powertrain.
If you hear Toyota, you know its reliability with ruggedness at an affordable price.
If you hear Audi, Range Rover, Bentley, Ferrari, Rolls Royce etc. you already know what to expect, cos these brands have identities. The Chinese brands just don’t, you never know what to expect when you hear the name and even then you’re still skeptical until you see or drive the car for yourself because they’re trying to do everything at once without a clear target audience. Definitely exciting cars still, they just lack identity.
It’s just the smartphone market all over again…Honor, Oneplus, Oppo, Huawei etc have wonderful phones with crazy features but you rarely see anyone choose them over Apple and Samsung, despite Apple having no single official store in Nigeria. The brand just speaks for itself.

NaijaNaWaa:
It’s only a matter of time. 40 years ago, few people patronized Japanese cars (and products) for exactly the same reason. Today, few people remember European and American cars. Unlike 40 years ago, Chinese cars have advanced auto technology that, at least on the surface, beats most western models.

That’s the problem, people always look beyond the surface when they want to buy, it’s good on paper no doubt but will it stand the test of time?
I’m not saying Chinese brands won’t gain market share, but he said in 5 years they will outshadow legacy brands.
But me personally I’ve never seen anyone say their dream car is a Chinese brand, I’ve not had anyone I know buy a Chinese car over a Benz, Range Rover or Honda. Funny thing is most of these legacy brands don’t even have official service centers in Nigeria and some of these Chinese brands do yet people don’t choose them.
The brands just lack identity. It’s a gamble whenever you choose one.
It’s just the smartphone market all over again…Honor, Oneplus, Oppo, Huawei etc have wonderful phones with crazy features but you rarely see anyone choose them over Apple and Samsung, despite Apple having no single official store in Nigeria. The brand just speaks for itself.

L0wk3y:
I’m not saying Chinese brands won’t gain market share, but he said in 5 years they will outshadow legacy brands.
But me personally I’ve never seen anyone say their dream car is a Chinese brand, I’ve not had anyone I know buy a Chinese car over a Benz, Range Rover or Honda. Funny thing is most of these legacy brands don’t even have official service centers in Nigeria and some of these Chinese brands do yet people don’t choose them.
Don’t get me wrong I know a lot about these Chinese brands, I keep up very well and they’re genuinely breaking the mold in almost every category of the industry except brand loyalty and reliability. The cars just lack identity.
If you hear Benz, you know it’s semi-luxury with a wonderful powertrain.
If you hear Toyota, you know its reliability with ruggedness at an affordable price.
If you hear Audi, Range Rover, Bentley, Ferrari, Rolls Royce etc. you already know what to expect, cos these brands have identities. The Chinese brands just don’t, you never know what to expect when you hear the name and even then you’re still skeptical until you see or drive the car for yourself because they’re trying to do everything at once without a clear target audience. Definitely exciting cars still, they just lack identity.
It’s just the smartphone market all over again…Honor, Oneplus, Oppo, Huawei etc have wonderful phones with crazy features but you rarely see anyone choose them over Apple and Samsung, despite Apple having no single official store in Nigeria. The brand just speaks for itself.

We are saying the same thing. I am just adding that the way Chinese car brands are going it's only going to be a matter of time before some people will genuinely choose them over all these cars you mentioned.

This is exactly what happened to Japanese cars, just a while ago, in the 80s, nobody regarded Japanese cars, back then, European cars held sway. People looked at Japanese cars the way the looked at Chinese cars today. You would hardly see anyone driving a Toyota back then. It was peugots, mercedes, Volvo, fiat etc. but with time and consistency people realised it was much more value for their money. That's what is going on with Chinese cars today. It's only a matter of time.

Just cos Japanese cars now hold sway doesn't mean Chinese cars too will in d future... that's a deduction error.. what amade Japanese cars loveable now is their high reliability, they are more reliable that the European cars.. what will Chinese cars bring to the table that will make them a darling of the markets ?
It can't be only price or aesthetics!! No pple want something that won't give them constant problems, will last long and retain gud financial value!!!

Greenodds:
We are saying the same thing. I am just adding that the way Chinese car brands are going it's only going to be a matter of time before some people will genuinely choose them over all these cars you mentioned.

This is exactly what happened to Japanese cars, just a while ago, in the 80s, nobody regarded Japanese cars, back then, European cars held sway. People looked at Japanese cars the way the looked at Chinese cars today. You would hardly see anyone driving a Toyota back then. It was peugots, mercedes, Volvo, fiat etc. but with time and consistency people realised it was much more value for their money. That's what is going on with Chinese cars today. It's only a matter of time.

being:
Just cos Japanese cars now hold sway doesn't mean Chinese cars too will in d future... that's a deduction error.. what amade Japanese cars loveable now is their high reliability, they are more reliable that the European cars.. what will Chinese cars bring to the table that will make them a darling of the markets ?
It can't be only price or aesthetics!! No pple want something that won't give them constant problems, will last long and retain gud financial value!!!

But you thinking just because Japanese cars did well means Chinese cars will not do well is also erratic. Why do you think they won't?
Having said that I never guaranteed it would happen, I said if they continue with the pace they are going it's only gonna be a matter of time.

A few years ago there were hardly Chinese cars on our roads but today it's a different story it means they are getting something right. Reliability can only be proven with time, only time will tell.

Also, You can't just write off price and aesthetics, ofcourse Chinese car brands can be successful based on only price and aesthetics and become known for that, not everyone can afford the price tag for reliable brands, there is a very strong market for cheap especially in a place like Africa. people buy things strictly because they are cheap. Not saying Chinese cars are cheap and unreliable, I'm just saying they already gained recognition because they are cheaper while offering same and in some cases even better technological amenities in cars.

NaijaNaWaa:
US, Europe, Japan and Korea combined can’t withstand the Chinese automotive power. In the next 5 years, China will drive them out of the market. I’m not happy about it but it’s the reality we face.

For Africans you mean

Greenodds:
But you thinking just because Japanese cars did well means Chinese cars will not do well is also erratic. Why do you think they won't?
Having said that I never guaranteed it would happen, I said if they continue with the pace they are going it's only gonna be a matter of time.

A few years ago there were hardly Chinese cars on our roads but today it's a different story it means they are getting something right. Reliability can only be proven with time, only time will tell.

Also, You can't just write off price and aesthetics, ofcourse Chinese car brands can be successful based on only price and aesthetics and become known for that, not everyone can afford the price tag for reliable brands, there is a very strong market for cheap especially in a place like Africa. people buy things strictly because they are cheap. Not saying Chinese cars are cheap and unreliable, I'm just saying they already gained recognition because they are cheaper while offering same and in some cases even better technological amenities in cars.

While some of your points are well noted, Chinese cars will take years of rigorous R & D improvement to gain such market dominance. They may have aesthetic appeal but their greatest challenge is durability, reliability, availability of parts at an affordable price, technical knowhow etc.

I'm not sure we have much literature on those who have used their for 5 years & above & what the maintenance cost looks like. Someone mentioned that Cost of ownership within a few years is high.

Another important factor is how they handle aging at 150k mileage. Will the parts be available without the owner breaking the bank? How do owners handle engine & electrical challenges when they arise.

I recall that Hyundai & Kia did lots of ads to gain entry into the Nigerian market but cost of parts is a major challenge for their brand even though they have a much better quality of build than the Chinese.

PersonallyI won't buy any if the Chinese cars because they can't withstand the rigours of our roads when u constantly travel with them. They may offer some relevance when used just within the city centers.

bravolad:
While some of your points are well noted, Chinese cars will take years of rigorous R & D improvement to gain such market dominance. They may have aesthetic appeal but their greatest challenge is durability, reliability, availability of parts at an affordable price, technical knowhow etc.

I'm not sure we have much literature on those who have used their for 5 years & above & what the maintenance cost looks like. Someone mentioned that Cost of ownership within a few years is high.

Another important factor is how they handle aging at 150k mileage. Will the parts be available without the owner breaking the bank? How do owners handle engine & electrical challenges when they arise.

I recall that Hyundai & Kia did lots of ads to gain entry into the Nigerian market but cost of parts is a major challenge for their brand even though they have a much better quality of build than the Chinese.

PersonallyI won't buy any if the Chinese cars because they can't withstand the rigours of our roads when u constantly travel with them. They may offer some relevance when used just within the city centers.

Yeah, like I already said, time will tell. To build a reputation for reliability takes time. For now we can give them aesthetics, price and features.

Greenodds:
Yeah, like I already said, time will tell. To build a reputation for reliability takes time. For now we can give them aesthetics, price and features.

Another major issue is resale (second) value. More than 80% of Nigerians buy cars due with good resale value. These Chinese cars are almost worthless once they are registered in Nigeria.

We have very poor maintenance culture as a people. While the Japanese brands could cope with abuse, the Chinese cars may not survive it. I see quite a number smoking & I wonder what the issue could be. The turbo components for those fitted with it, are less tolerant.

bravolad:
Another major issue is resale (second) value. More than 80% of Nigerians buy cars due with good resale value. These Chinese cars are almost worthless once they are registered in Nigeria.

We have very poor maintenance culture as a people. While the Japanese brands could cope with abuse, the Chinese cars may not survive it. I see quite a number smoking & I wonder what the issue could be. The turbo components for those fitted with it, are less tolerant.

Resale value? Reliability automatically converts to good resale value.
The only brands with good resale value are Japanese brands. And its because of the reliability. Resale value doesn't really matter that much, you wouldn't be seeing so much German or American cars on our roads if its a really serious consideration.

Not all Chinese cars are the same, choose a reputable brand