Don't want to wait for a Kia EV6 or Hyundai Ioniq 5? China's 2022 BYD Atto 3 electric SUV can be delivered to Australia by August this year

Burgeoning Chinese electric vehicle brand BYD has already topped 2000 pre-sales in Australia for its first mass-market model, the Atto 3 SUV.

Launched in Australia in late February, the Atto 3 – also known as the Yuan Plus in its native China – is priced from $44,381 before on-road costs for the Superior and tops out at $47,381 for the Superior Extended Range.

While BYD’s Australian distributor, EVDirect.com.au, is not revealing the precise number of pre-orders, CarsGuide understands that it is in excess of 2000 already.

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Managing director and CEO of EVDirect.com.au Luke Todd said that the fledgling importer will find more homes for the Atto 3 than some of the big hitters in the EV segment.

“Like most companies, we’re not giving out a specific number, but we can comfortably say that it puts us well and truly into second place as far as a EVs that will be delivered in this calendar year,” he said.

This number exceeds the full-year 2021 total sales of what is expected to be the Atto 3’s biggest rival, fellow Chinese manufacturer MG’s ZS EV.

Mr Todd confirmed that, at this early stage, the pricier Extended Range model is by far the most popular.

The Superior has a 50.1kWh LFP battery offering 320km of WLTP-certified driving range, while the Superior Extended Range uses a 60.4kWh unit for a 420km range.

The company recently upped the allocation for Queensland buyers to 2000 units following the state government’s decision to offer a $3000 subsidy on all EVs priced under $58,000.

First deliveries of the Atto 3 will start in July and Mr Todd confirmed that if a customer puts down the $1000 deposit for a model now, it will be delivered in August.

Unlike rivals Kia and Hyundai that have limited supply of the EV6 (500 units) and Ioniq 5 respectively for the remainder of 2022, Mr Todd said there are no such supply restrictions from BYD.

“We need to be agile. We need to maximise the great scenario that we have, which is high production capabilities. To my knowledge, we have the ability to manufacture the highest volume of EVs for the Australian market than any car company in the world. And to make sure that we adjust to the Australian market as it's evolving very quickly.

“Agility is at the core of what we do and that's a key part of our service offering and what makes us different to some of the other products on the market.”

Mr Todd added that EV Direct has a direct line to BYD’s senior management and it can increase production for the Australian market at any point.

“EV Direct, some time ago, invested a significant amount of money to have our own production lines inside the mega factories of BYD, so under that agreement, we have the capability of 15,000 units per model.

“So if we have four models, that means 60,000 cars in a calendar year. And if we so need to, if the Australian sales outweigh that 15,000 amount, we have the ability to increase that again, if needed.”

As BYD also manufactures microprocessors, Mr Todd said the brand had been largely spared the supply issues for semiconductor chips that has had a hugely negative impact on most global manufacturers.

He said the war in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic have created challenges for the brand, but his main concern for now was shipping and getting cars to buyers in good time.

“The only thing that gives me headache at the moment is how many ships we can arrange coming out of the ports where we're building and getting them into Australia, so that's not a major issue. It's certainly a concern because we do have a lot of vehicles to deliver in the second half of this year.”