Thula is bringing more capability and comfort to the game-viewing vehicle market.
Capable and comfortable
The electric ecosystem
Silent Safari
Thula is bringing more capability and comfort to the game-viewing vehicle market.
Lodges and game viewing tours are a crucial part of the South African luxury tourism industry. But what about making game-viewing vehicles even more appealing to guests, rangers, and lodge owners?
More high-income visitors are seeking to offset their longhaul flight emissions through mechanisms in South Africa, and an electric safari vehicle is the ideal mechanism for that.
Most South African game-viewing vehicles are converted Land Cruisers 70s. A robust and proven platform, but also one with limitations regarding comfort and safety due to its very aged design. The Land Cruiser 70-Series gameviewing vehicles are also noisy, powered by relatively unsophisticated diesel engines that can spook more sensitive herbivore species and birds, creating a challenge for rangers and trackers.
Capable and comfortable
For lodges that want to offer the best possible game drive experience, lower fleet operating costs, and appeal even more to European and American tourists with a deep environmental conviction, there’ s the Thula.
Built in the Eastern Cape, the Thula ESV was developed to fulfil a very real need for South African safari operators and game lodges. The engineering brief was simple: create a
more capable, comfier, safer, and environmentally friendly largecapacity game-viewing vehicle.
With more 60 % of the Thula being locally sourced, it’ s proof of how deep the technical experience is in the South African automotive supply chain.
Compared to a Land Cruiser 70 it’ s a lot more capable and comfortable. The Thula has 280 mm of ground clearance for excellent obstacle-crossing ability and traction. But its big advantage is independent front and rear suspension, with coil springs at all four wheel corners. That suspension configuration gives the Thula far superior individual wheel travel across uneven terrain and much better ride quality, enhancing passenger comfort.
The electric ecosystem
With dual electric motors and 150 kW of peak power, the Thula has much better performance than a Land Cruiser 4.2 diesel safari vehicle. The near-silent powertrain also offers real advantages for rangers and trackers navigating the bush, delivering the best possible animal sightings for guests.
But what about the range and economics? The 65 kWh battery is good for 200 km of game driving, which is plenty. And it can be recharged in 6 hours, from a 10 kW three-phase power source. With most lodges and game reserves having installed solar power, it ' s entirely viable to run a fleet of Thulas and save enormously on that monthly diesel budget.
Thula is offering its electric-powered game viewer for outright purchase or lease, for lodges and Safari operators who want to offer guests a better driving experience. And the appeal of having part of their Safari logistics handled by a carbon-offset vehicle.
WORDS IN ACTION 28 MAY 2026