BYD, out of China, has been in our market for four months now. The brand which no one had ever heard of, has been going gangbusters with only one model – currently – available to buy.
The BYD Atto 3 is selling as fast as it is landing, which is even more impressive than Tesla’s intermittent performances, where registration figures come in bursts with small to no sales, then a massive order, then nothing again.
BYD on the other hand, is a much more consistent performer and has a dedicated and growing network of very enthusiastic and professional dealerships, staffed by people who know and are excited about the brand, the individual product and the local distributor, a smart recipe for success.
Each of BYD’s dealerships are supported by service centres, who have factory trained personnel covering the mechanical and physical bodywork aspects of the vehicles, and there is a solid parts division backing up those service centres.
BYD NZ is part of the long-standing Ateco distribution group – which should give some indication of the driving power behind the brand here.
We attended the grand opening of BYD’s flagship – at the time – dealership in Newmarket which was described as ‘New York Loft’ and is representative of the brand’s corporate identity here.
The CI plays almost as important a role as the vehicles themselves as it gives additional assurance to the consumer that this brand has people who know what they’re doing behind it.
BYD, the EV brand that started out building batteries, is not taking shortcuts as it moves towards the fast lane in the automotive industry.
Onto the product then. The Atto 3 is not the first vehicle BYD has ever built. It’s a long way ‘down the road’ from earlier, petrol-powered vehicles built largely for the domestic market in China.
Atto 3 is BYD’s first all-electric vehicle for export – a global automotive ambassador if you will – and to say it has hit the ground running is the understatement of the year.
The design of BYD’s SUV has resonated exceptionally well in the New Zealand market as proven by the 500 units delivered in just three short months and a healthy forward order bank in place for pre- and post-Christmas delivery times.
At the same time, BYD NZ is trying to keep up with on-the-go upgrades, such as the inclusion of a new colour option – Parkour Red – to supplement the original Surf Blue, Boulder Grey and Ski White choices, the availability of a 750kg braked tow bar and a soon-to-be-announced ANCAP safety rating.
As well, there is considerable speculation regarding the heart and soul of the Atto 3 and indeed future BYD product to come – the Blade battery.
This is described as ultra-safe patented battery technology and it is rumoured that both Toyota and Tesla are negotiating with BYD at international levels to incorporate the Blade battery into their respective vehicles because of its greater power density and incredible safety credentials.
The Blade battery can be punctured, crushed, twisted and abused well beyond what is reasonable and not catch fire or explode as other EV batteries would after being subjected to similar trials.
As a result, while the Atto 3 carries a six-year/150,000km warranty with a six-year roadside assistance package, the Blade battery carries a greater eight-year /160,000km warranty.
And the price? The best for last: the Atto 3 starts at $55,490 for the Standard model (approx. 345km range) and $59,990 for the Extended Range (approx. 420km) model, plus the on-road costs, and both all-electric vehicles are eligible for the clean car rebate of $8,625.
