A range of BYD electric cars slated for Australia by importer EV Direct will be handed over to customers, and serviced, by the nationwide Mycar network. And, the new deal could see EV Direct also deliver EVs from other carmakers to drivers.
A budget electric hatchback called the EA1 (that may arrive under another name when it arrives here in late 2023), an electric Yuan Plus SUV and a premium BYD Han are just some of the vehicles made by Chinese EV and battery giant BYD that EV Direct is planning to introduce to local roads.
The new deal announced Wednesday will see drivers who buy the range of EVs – which in the case of the EA1 hatch could cost as little as $25,000 – pick up their new vehicles from Mycar, and select Mycar service centres will have purpose-built bays installed for electric cars, services by EV technicians.
“Much has been said about how EVs will be serviced once they become mainstream. EVDirect.com.au’s relationship with mycar provides the best possible solution,” Todd said in a statement.
“The partnership makes sense for us and enables EVs to be rolled out in large volumes nationally.
“With mycar’s scale as a national car-care brand being synonymous with exceptional customer service, our long-term agreement ensures our EV owners will have peace of mind that all their car-care needs will be well met,” he said.
Commenting on the new partnership inked with EV Direct, Mycar director Adam Pay said in a statement. “Our partnership with EVDirect.com.au sees us not only expand our expertise into the growing electric vehicle space but gives our team the opportunity to leverage our exceptional customer service into a new realm, delivering new car owners a frictionless, transparent, and engaging experience that our existing customers have come to expect from us.”
And, he said: “EVDirect.com.au also plans to expand imported EV brand marques from overseas manufacturers beyond BYD, with mycar to serve as a key partner as more brand partnerships are agreed.”
Todd told The Driven he was recently in Shanghai, where he said he was involved in seeing the Yuan Plus tuned so it will meet Australian design rules and safety standards. Photos shared showed a Yuan Plus with the words “Australian 2022 Design and evaluation model” on the side.
By August 2023, Todd says that EV Direct will offer six BYD models direct-to-consumers via its online platform. It currently offers an e6 electric people mover and T3 van, which are both limited volume offers.
“We greatly look forward to expanding and strengthening our relationship with mycar in the years to come,” Todd said.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model 3 and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.