Australia’s second cheapest electric car now costs an additional $3630 for people ordering from now, as supply chain prices and inflation bite.
The BYD Atto 3 now kicks off at $48,011 before on-road costs for the Standard Range, and $51,011 for the Extended Range.
It remains an affordability leader in Australia’s fast-growing EV space however, with only the MG ZS EV ($44,990 to $48,990 drive-away) undercutting it.
MORE: 2023 BYD Atto 3 v MG ZS EV comparison
Australia’s importer for BYD, EVDirect, requires a $1000 deposit for web orders, with advised delivery timing of April to May 2023.
BYD this week posted Australian sales figures for the first time, with monthly industry VFACTS data showing 845 units of the Atto 3 were counted as sold during November.
Sales of the Atto 3 only resumed in mid-November after a several-week pause related to an Australian Design Rule compliance issue – specifically around ISOFIX anchor points.
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EVDirect told CarExpert that the year-to-date sales thus far were closer to 1000 units since some were delivered before the delivery pause, and furthermore forecasts a greater number of deliveries for December.
Assuming the 845 sales claim is accurate – VFACTS is compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and claimed to be checked against registration data – the Atto 3 raced straight into number two spot on the EV charts.
It thereby also accounted for about one-in-five EVs sold.
The Tesla Model Y was far and away the dominant player with 1805 monthly deliveries, while the Model 3 claimed 391 units for November, the Volvo C40 managed 243 sales, and the Polestar 2 claimed 240 sales.
BYD Seal
China’s BYD is growing at pace, expanding its footprint across Europe and into new markets such as Japan this year. It’s now widely viewed as one of the chief rivals to Tesla globally.
It just produced its three-millionth ‘new energy vehicle’ (EV or PHEV) as it scales at exponential pace and rolls into new markets across the globe.
It took the Warren Buffett-backed EV and battery supplier 13 years to sell one million NEVs, one year to hit two million, and just six months to hit three million.
Australian BYD distributor EVDirect says it plans to bring the BYD Seal sedan (a Model 3 rival) and EA1/Dolphin small hatch (potentially opening under $40,000) to market next year. This latter vehicle has already been spotted charging in Sydney wearing light camouflage.
MORE: 2023 BYD Atto 3 review
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