Australia’s cheapest EVs go head to head: BYD Atto 3 vs MG ZS EV

With the launch of the BYD Atto 3 onto the Australian market, the MG ZS EV now has a competitor for the title of the most affordable EV in Australia (at least until the introduction of the BYD Dolphin electric hatchback which will likely be named the Atto 2).

The two “budget” electric vehicles from China will compete not only on price however: as small to medium-sized SUVs they represent the only sub-$50,000 sports utility choices on the local EV market. And, they’ll both arrive in mid-2022.

The BYD Atto 3 was launched in Sydney on Saturday, along with full pricing and specifications.

Although full specifications and pricing are yet to be released for the fresh-faced 2023 MG ZS EV, which for the first time which be available with both a Standard Range and Long Range battery when it arrives in mid-2022, its UK and European pricing offers a guide.

There are some assumptions that could be made based on the 2020 MG ZS EV, such as vehicle length, with the caveat that these may differ in the 2023 model.

It looks like the BYD Atto 3 is the longer of the two, with a 4,454mm length compared to the 2020 ZS EV’s 4,314mm length for example. Likewise, the Atto 3 has more cargo space in the back with 434 litres compared to the 2020 ZS EV’s 359 litres.

On power and acceleration, the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV are both front-wheel-drive format with a 150kW motor, but the Atto 3 gets a slight kick ahead in the sprint department. It can drive 0-100km/hr in 7.3 seconds with 310Nm torque compared to the MG’s 8.6 seconds acceleration and 280Nm torque.

However, it would appear that the MG ZS EV comes out on top on driving range. The Long Range MG ZS EV gets the largest battery option at 72kWh compared to the Atto 3’s 63.8kWh, and also the most driving range on a single charge.

Although there is only WLTP range available for the former and NEDC range available for the latter, if we apply a calculation to the Extended Range Atto 3’s 480km NEDC range to get closer to real world range based on EPA figures, it would be reasonable to assert that could achieve under 350km, whereas the MG ZS EV would drive 393km using 100% of the battery.

While the smaller battery models have an almost identically sized battery, the Atto 3 would have a 279km “real world” range for the Atto 3 compared to 285km for the MG ZS EV.

The BYD Atto 3 does better on charging, however. It can charge at a maximum rate of 100kW on a DC fast charger compared to 80kW for the MG ZS EV. At home however, the two are neck and neck and can charge at a maximum rate of 7kW.

There are still a few other specifications to be confirmed for the MG ZS EV, so there are a few other notable things to keep an eye out for when the 2023 model is launched in Australia.

For example, the Atto 3 comes with a vehicle-to-load mobile charging unit, which means it can act as a mobile power station. It also has an 8-speaker Dirac surround system, and rotating touchscreen interface.

It is not clear however if Apple Car Play and Android Auto will be included in the BYD Atto 3, while it is likely both will be included again with the 2023 MG ZS EV.

Whether or not either vehicle will be rated to tow is not yet clear – we are checking with EV Direct on that for the Atto 3 and will have to wait until mid-year for the ZS EV (the 2020 model was not rated to tow).

* 2020 specifications, 2023 to be confirmed.