The first right-hand-drive images of the BYD Atto 3, renamed for the local market from Yuan Plus, have been shared to The Driven ahead of an official launch in Sydney this month.
The images show an Atto 3 featuring a large landscape-oriented touchscreen on a moulded two-tone dash, with matching two-tone upholstery, red-stitched accents and a wide console with gears and controls for easy access. The bold red stitching is complimented by red cords on the inside of the door.
BYD’s distributor in Australia, EV Direct, is preparing to launch the newly renamed Yuan Plus in Sydney next week.
As per plans to rename a number of the Chinese car giant’s models for the local market, the Yuan Plus has been renamed the “Atto 3”, a mathematical measurement term that evokes precision and quality, according to an update on EV Direct’s website.
Subsequent models to be launched in Australia – including a budget BYD EA1 hatchback – will follow this naming convention, using the word Atto plus a number.
The launch of the Atto 3 comes just months since the Australian-based direct-to-consumer distributor tested two Yuan Plus crossovers modified to fit Australian specifications in China, as was reported by The Driven in December.
With a new Sydney showroom ready to open in time for the upcoming launch, the Atto 3 will be the first volume vehicle to market from BYD.
EV Direct boss Luke Todd tells The Driven that while pricing and specifications for the Atto 3 will be announced at the launch event, it will compete with the MG ZS EV on price but with top-end EV models on range and capabilities like over-the-air updates.
With a Blade battery under the floor – which has been reported to be the safest on the market – the Atto 3 will compete with Tesla’s premium models in terms of charging speed, says Todd.
And, Todd says that BYD will be the only EV on the Australian market to compete with Tesla on volume capacity. With a dedicated assembly line at BYD’s factory in Shanghai for Australia and New Zealand inventory, the EV maker can build up to 1,200 vehicles a month for local markets.
But it may take a while to fill initial orders, he says, with a claimed 15,000 expressions of interest taken already.
Sales for the Atto 3 will go online at 7:00pm next Saturday, February 19, with pricing and specs released at the same time, and come early March a media drive day will put the Atto 3 to the test.
A previous version of this article stated pricing and specs would be released on Friday, February 18, 2022.
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 Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.