BYD Atto 3 (Yuan Plus) launches in Australia from $44,990 driveaway, deliveries from July

BYD’s Atto 3 will reach Australian customer’s hands from July 2022.

• Priced from $44,990 Driveaway, available in Standard Range and Extended Range variants

• Standard Range - 50.1 kWh Blade Battery with 320 km (WLTP) range

• Extended Range - 60.4 kWh Blade Battery with 420 km (WLTP) range

• 150kW/310Nm front-mounted motor, front wheel drive platform

• 80kW maximum DC charge rate, with 90 minute charge time

What is the BYD Atto 3?

The Atto 3 (Yuan Plus in China) is the first volume passenger model in right hand drive to be imported by Nexport, and has been priced to compete with MG’s ZS EV head on. Sharing the MG’s $44,990 driveaway pricing — in Tasmania only mind you — the Atto 3 actually costs more than that headline figure in New South Wales $47,110 driveaway), South Australia ($46,700 driveaway) and most other states and territories, though various EV incentives should bring that price down by around $2,000-$3,000 Australian dollars.

While we’ve seen Nexport use the BYD Han sedan and Tang large SUV for promotional purposes as the brand launched in Australia last year, we’ve always had an inkling that BYD’s local launch headliner would be a compact SUV. With eight of Australia’s top ten-selling vehicles in January 2022 offering an elevated ride height, this segment of the market is where the sales are (like it or not fellow wagon fans).

Which models will make it to Australia?

Two models will be available at launch, a Standard Range variant with a 50.1 kWh battery and 320km range, and an Extended Range variant with a 60.4 kWh battery and 420km range. It was hoped that an 800 volt electrical architecture would be standard on the Atto 3 as part of the brand's next-generation offering, but it appears that hasn't made the cut for budget reasons. BYD claims a maximum DC charging rate of 80kW, taking a leisurely 90 minutes to fill the Blade Battery (though the company hasn't stated whether that is for a 0-100 percent charge, or for a 10-80% charge). AC charging is available, with support for 3-phase charging capability.

The front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor drives the front wheels, and offers 150kW of power and 310Nm of torque. While BYD hasn't confirmed the weight of the models arriving in Australia (we expect it to be around 1,500-1,600kg), the company quotes a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 7.3 seconds, 1.2 seconds faster than the current generation MG ZS EV.

BYD Atto 3 design and interior

The Atto 3's exterior is a pleasing if restrained SUV design. Chinese automakers from BYD to Great Wall Motors, Nio and Xpeng now understand that consumers - domestically and abroad - crave design and perceived quality over straight-out value, and the BYD Atto 3 designed by Wolfgang Egger (of Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione fame) is a far cry from what many western consumers think of when you say "Chinese car". Sure, the slim LED headlamps, faux, muscular air intakes, sharp hip-line, textured C-pillar and wraparound tail lights seem to be common EV styling tropes of the 2020s, but the overall look of BYD's "Dragon Face" design language is clean, cohesive, and contemporary; its one of the nicest looking compact SUVs on the market. We're still not sure of that naff "Build Your Dreams" lettering on the rear hatch though.

Music and fitness were the inspiration behind this cockpit.

Over to the inside, and...yeah. It's not to our tastes, with BYD citing design influences from "fitness and music". To us, that should translate as a strong, high-quality cabin, and a high-end audio system, but BYD's interior designs are trying to appeal to the youth of today, not your grandpa looking to trade in his circa-2000s Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Interior door grips look like fitness equipment, and the HVAC system has odd rotating wheels (they remind us of a Boeing 737's trim wheels) that are meant to take inspiration from dumbbells. There are elastic ropes to secure items in the door bins (like XXX) which BYD says are inspired by guitar strings. Yes, they make a noise when "plucked", and yes, those of us with toddlers will never, ever buy this car for that reason.

There's a mix of shapes and textures inside, many of them appearing to be quite soft to the touch. Standard equipment includes a panoramic sunroof that electrically slides, power tailgate, 12.8-inch rotating central infotainment screen, 5-inch digital driver's info display, wireless phone charging, keyless entry and start, digital radio, electric seats, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth with audio streaming. Oh, and there's in car karaoke, and a guitar controller. There's a full complement of active and passive safety systems, from Intelligent Cruise Control, Hill Descent Control and Lane Departure Warning, to front and rear collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

Size and packaging of the BYD Atto 3

The size of the Atto 3 is on par with Hyundai's Kona Electric and Kia's Niro EV. there's a wheelbase of 2,720mm, and an overall length of 4,455mm. We'll have to wait and see what this actually means for passengers and their luggage, and whether a front boot is included, but expect the Atto 3 to be able to handle a large suitcase and a couple of carry-ons in the rear, and there's likely to be a similar amount of space to the aforementioned Koreans. BYD has yet to provide any figures for luggage capacity.

What do we think? We'll have to wait to drive it of course, but our mantra is greater choice in the market (especially at the cheaper end) is unquestionably a great thing. BYD's (and Nexport's) greatest challenge will not necessarily be convincing customers that the Atto 3 suits their needs, rather that customers can trust the brand to provide a high level of customer service right throughout the buying process and ownership period, and secure enough vehicle stock in a timely manner.

BYD EA1 (BYD Dolphin) EV hatchback walkaround video from China

A walkaround of BYD’s compact EV, the EA!. Image: Wheelsboy on YouTube

We’ve covered the BYD EA1 previously, but until now, there have been few detailed English language reviews of the car. Wheelsboy on YouTube brings us an up-close walkaround of the vehicle in a BYD showroom, giving us some insights on the styling and features of the vehicle.

For the Chinese domestic market, the EA1 is actually named 海豚 (Pinyin: Hǎitún), or Dolphin, hence the rather oceanic-themed marketing surrounding the vehicle. Ignoring the inflatable Orca on the roof It’s important to take this vehicle seriously. The EA1 offers a refined and upmarket design language for a small electric city car, with use of a clamshell-like front hood/bonnet, coloured trim accents, signature LED lighting all around, with a dramatic rear light cluster evoking traditional Chinese knots , and a spacious, practical interior. In a world where manufacturers are racing to build more and more electric crossovers and SUVs, no company has cracked the global compact city car formula yet.

The EA1 features BYD’s patented Blade Battery pack, which claims a lifecycle of 1.2 million km after 3,000 charge/discharge cycles and an extensive single-charge range capability. The company manufacturers its battery packs in house, at a 20 GWh facility in Chongqing, China.

Australia is likely to first see the EA1 in a rideshare capacity, after right-hand-drive distributor Nexport signed a deal with rideshare vehicle leasing company Splend for 3,000 electric vehicles.

New South Wales government to add 35 electric buses to its North Shore fleet

A BYD-Gemilang-Nexport electric bus, currently servicing the Inner West of Sydney.

The New South Wales Government has appointed Busways North West as the operator of bus services in Sydney’s North West and select areas of the Lower North Shore, and the company has committed to introducing 35 electric buses to replace diesel buses that have reached the end of their life.

“Busways is an Australian-owned family company which currently runs bus routes, with integrated On Demand services, in Sydney’s West and the Hills District, and will now operate in the North West and Lower North Shore,” Mr Constance said. 

“Busways will introduce 35 electric buses to replace diesel buses that need to be retired, meaning cleaner, quieter and smoother rides for customers. Charging infrastructure will be installed at the Willoughby depot to support the new fleet.” 

Nexport is likely a contender to receive the purchase order. As a growing Australian business, with the company recently announcing a $110 million funding injection from Hong Kong-based financier Tor Investment Management, Nexport plans to partner with Australian technology giant Tritium —which is soon set to list on the NASDAQ exchange— to build EVs in Brisbane and the Australian Capital Territory. Nexport is already building buses using BYD drivetrains and Gemlang/Volgren bodies in New South Wales and Victoria.

We’ve reached out to Transport for New South Wales to get more information on the buses.

A concept of BYD-Nexport’s next electric bus. Image: Nexport

Nexport to bring self-branded last mile electric van to Australia in October 2021

Nexport’s DLX electric van. Via Luke Todd on Linkedin

Australia's importer for BYD vehicles and electric buses Nexport has revealed that it plans to bring an all-electric commercial van to Australia, to be named the Nexport DLX. In a statement via Linkedin, Nexport managing director Luke Todd said that “Mass production in NSW will commence in early 2022. We will soon announce price and specifications....Nexport is creating jobs for Australians wishing to join the clean-tech manufacturing renaissance.”

Nexport DLX revealed on Linkedin

Earlier in the week, Todd also posted on Linkedin, stating “ARRIVED. Introducing the DLX electric logistics truck, the newest addition to the Nexport suite of zero-emission products. Customer test drives to commence in Australia by October 2021. Customer deliveries scheduled for Q1, 2022. No overhyped market build up needed. The DLX just arriEVd and will deliEVr.”

The use of “Arrived” references UK-based EV commercial vehicle startup Arrival, which currently has a similar electric van in development, with production to commence in the third quarter of 2022. Arrival has no plans to bring its vehicles to markets outside North America and Europe at this stage.

Nexport’s vehicles will eventually be manufactured in Australia

This is a very short but welcome timeline from Nexport; Australia’s transport emissions have grown steadily over the last few decades, and account for one-third of our greenhouse gas emissions according to the Climate Council.

Nexport already manufactures buses in Australia, utilising BYD powertrains and bus bodies from Gemilang and Volgren, so it’s possible that they are leveraging existing manufacturing capacity to bring the DLX to market so quickly. Another scenario could be that the company plans to “flat pack” vehicle bodies and drivetrain components, ready for final assembly on Australian shores.

Nexport has plans to eventually establish a passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturing facility in Australia, on a 51 hectare site 90 minutes south-west of Sydney. We have contacted Nexport for more information and will update this post accordingly.

Source: LinkedIn

St Baker Energy Fund to invest $20 million in TrueGreen Mobility ahead of introduction of $35k BYD EA1 and T3

L to R: Trevor St Baker, StBEIF CEO Rodger Whitby, and TrueGreen Mobility CEO Luke Todd. Image: TrueGreen Group

This week, Australia’s e-mobility focused TrueGreen Group announced that the St Baker Energy Innovation Fund (StBEIF) will be injecting $20 million into its business, as the company looks to roll out two BYD electric vehicles in Australia later this year from $35,000.

The BYD T3 commercial van will lead the charge, offering a 50 kWh battery with 300 km (186 mile) range. The compact BYD EA1 — recently unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show — will follow later in 2021, and will offer customers a 500km range .

Luke Todd, TrueGreen Mobility chief executive said there was “pent-up demand” from businesses for electric transport and that TrueGreen Mobility expected to sell thousands of small vans nationally.

Speaking with The Driven, he stated “With our products, electric vehicles have now reached price parity with combustion engines, so a switch to EVs makes perfect economic, commercial, environmental and moral sense.”

Rodger Whitby, CEO of the StBEIF, said the $20 million financial injection was a “relatively small token of collaboration” and that the fund would spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars expanding Evie Networks’ public charging sites according to the Australian Financial Review.

A little history. If you don’t know the name Trevor St Baker, you probably should. An expert in electricity utility planning in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, he ultimately went on to found a number of private power development companies, with investment in Australia, South East Asia, and the United States.

Mr. St Baker is pro-nuclear and coal power, and has publically criticised the idea that renewables can provide baseload power while advocating for coal power stations to delay their closure.

Nexport’s $35,000 BYD T3 van. Image: Nexport Australia

In 2013, he formed the StBEIF, of which the primary purpose was to invest in energy start-up businesses, and that’s where Tritium — an EV charging hardware company you may have heard of — comes in.

The StBEIF is focused on investing in electric vehicles, despite its history in the oil and gas sectors. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr. St Baker said “People are marching in the street for decarbonising and net-zero emissions and they’re really serious about it,” he said. “Decarbonising and electrifying the transport sector is an absolutely essential part of that.”

Trevor St Baker, Luke Todd, and Rodger Whitby with a BYD T3 electric van. Image: TrueGreen Group

The StBEIF’s $40 million ($31.051 million USD) investment in Tritium paid off, with the Australian-based company set to list on the NASDAQ through special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Decarbonisation Plus Acquisition Corporation II, itself owned by asset management firm Riverstone Holdings. The enterprise value is expected to be $2.2 billion ($1.708 billion USD).

The StBEIF will also assume a seat on the board of TrueGreen Group. The fund also backs Australian high-speed EV charging company Evie Networks.