BYD Atto 3 electric SUV: Delivery delays hit entry model

The most-affordable variant of Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle, the BYD Atto 3, has been hit with a delay.

EVDirect, the third-party Australian importer of BYD vehicles, has informed customers the start of production for the 2022 BYD Atto 3 Standard Range in China has been pushed back to mid-October.

It was scheduled to launch in Australia alongside the Extended Range option, with a July on-sale date initially stated earlier this year.

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This has since been pushed back to August or September for the Extended Range, and November or December for the Standard Range.

In an email sent to customers, and shared to the BYD Atto EV Owners group on Facebook, the company said the more-expensive Extended Range variant was being prioritised for the Australian market.

“Unfortunately, we have received advice from BYD in China that the production of the Standard Range Atto 3 vehicles will not commence until estimated mid-October, with delivery to Australia scheduled to start in November – December,” the letter states.

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“This is due to the high-volume production requirements of the extended range option. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

EVDirect claims approximately 90 per cent of customers have pre-ordered the Extended Range version.

Standard Range customers who received correspondence from EVDirect earlier this week can upgrade to an Extended Range model in the same colour, while keeping their place in the queue.

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Buyers who decide to avoid the delay by opting for the Extended Range are likely to receive their vehicle within the next two months, according to EVDirect.

Those yet to join the queue for a BYD Atto 3 should expect delivery of the Extended Range before Christmas, or between December 2022 and January 2023 for the Standard Range, if ordered today.

The BYD Atto 3 will become Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle when it launches, with pricing as low as $44,990 drive-away in Tasmania.

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However, as pricing is location dependent, it is undercut by the updated MG ZS EV Excite in several states. The ZS EV starts from $46,990 drive-away nationwide.

The pricing for the BYD Atto 3 remains unchanged at $44,381 before on-road costs for the Standard Range, or $47,381 plus on-roads for the Extended Range.

EVDirect says it will release warranty and servicing information in the coming weeks, while it expects a five-star safety rating, despite no crash testing by ANCAP or Euro NCAP thus far.

UPDATE, August 24, 2022: BYD warranty detailed

BYD's Australian distributor has finally offered a full breakdown on what its warranty and servicing plan will entail. It's not as long as originally described, and a number of items on the vehicle have an even shorter warranty.

Get the details at the link below, and watch our video below.

Story continues

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BYD Atto 4, also known as the Seal

A number of BYD Atto 3 models docked in New Zealand late last week, ahead of test drives from late July and customer deliveries commencing at the end of August.

The 2022 BYD Atto 3 is expected to be joined by the Atto 1 small hatchback and Atto 4 mid-size sedan by the end of the year.

These models are known as the Dolphin and Seal, respectively, in the Chinese market.