BYD Atto 3 2024 News

If you think Chinese car brands can't teach Toyota, Ford or GM anything about making vehicles better, think again!

Is BYD going to go match other Chinese brands with significant discounts on electric vehicles (EVs)? Or will it release an even cheaper city car based on the Seagull hatch?

Sales of Chinese electric cars are booming despite heavy tariffs effectively locking them out of the US, Canada and the European Union.

Canada has followed the lead of the US and European Union in announcing it will impose a big tariff on Chinese-made EVs. According to the Canadian government, the 100 per cent tax will apply to all vehicles imported from China, including those built by Tesla, who currently ships its Chinese-made EVs to Canada.

BYD Australia has announced model year 2024 pricing for the BYD Atto 3 small SUV. The upgrades mirror those applied to the China-market BYD Yuan Plus and, like in its home market, the Atto 3 is now cheaper than its launch price starting at $44,990 before on-road costs. That’s a saving of $3021 for the Standard range, while the popular Extended range model is now $3512 more affordable at $47,499 before on-road costs. It may be a less significant price cut that the 12 per cent seen in China – which would’ve brought the Atto 3 down to $42,250 – but there are big benefits with Continental tyres fitted standard in place of the maligned Atlas Batman rubber. Also new is the Cosmos black colour,  larger 15.8-inch rotating touchscreen (up from 12.8-inch) with wireless Apple CarPlay and a karaoke function. The Hyundai Kona electric and MG ZS EV rival's air conditioning can now be engaged with the car turned off, ideal for when charging in hot climates. The MY23 dealer demonstrator price of $45,990 drive-away for the Extended Range has now ended. The Standard Range has a rated driving range of 345km (WLTP) from a 49.92kWh ‘Blade’ LFP battery and the Extended Range’s bigger 60.48kWh pack increases that to 420km (WLTP). Both use a single front-mounted 150kW/310Nm electric motor. Charging is capped at 70kW (DC) for the Standard and 80kW (DC) for the Extended. The variants share interior and exterior spec, including artificial leather upholstery, power-adjust front seats, 5.0-inch digital driver’s display, power tailgate, LED headlights, satellite navigation and voice control. Just like Tesla’s Model 3, BYD has cut prices despite added equipment, better tyres and no loss of driving range. It shows electric price wars are well and truly alive, following cuts from major manufacturers including Tesla, Nissan, Renault and more.The updated 2024 BYD Atto 3 is available to order now. 2024 BYD Atto 3 pricingPrices listed are before on-road costs. 

Vehicle supply has arguably been the Australian new-car market’s hottest talking point in 2023, and one recent newcomer to local showrooms, EV specialist BYD, has seemingly conquered the issue thanks to strategic investments in dedicated production capacity established in the brand’s Chinese factories.

BYD, or Build Your Dreams as it’s also known in full, uses the full text of its name on the tailgates of its cars, something it's about to stop doing in Europe.

BYD has emerged as a global player on the electric car market, even claiming to have outsold Tesla in the first half of 2022. Now it has its sights set on Australia, with its Atto 3 electric SUV already on sale and deliveries reportedly beginning by the end of August.