BYD Atto 3. Source: EV Direct
Electric car importer EV Direct will shortly commence test drives of the right-hand-drive BYD Atto 3, it said in an announcement confirming it has also locked in a dealer and delivery agreement with national network Eagers Automotive.
The Atto 3 is currently the most affordable new electric vehicle in Australia, and first deliveries are set to commence in the third quarter of 2022.
Priced from $44,381 before on-roads for a Standard Range version and $47,381 for an Extended Range, BYD also confirmed that it has taken more than 3,000 orders for the Atto 3. In April, the Extended Eange Atto 3 topped The Driven’s “best bang for buck” list, delivering per dollar spent, the most driving range.
Awaiting customers will be glad to know that BYD says it will contact them regarding test drives soon, for what will be a first to market for the China auto giant in Australia.
General Manager of BYD Australia, Wing You, said in a statement: “We are extremely confident that BYD’s first mass produced vehicle for Australia the Atto 3, will be an amazing success with more than 3,000 orders already placed.”
The Eagers deal, which was first inked in February as a non-binding MoU, has now also been made official: franchise agreements have been signed in time for first deliveries of the Atto 3, importer EV Direct said on Tuesday.
Luke Todd, managing director of EV Direct said in a statement that the inking of the deal is “an important milestone”, adding that, “The arrangement allows us to retain the benefits of a streamlined direct to customer model whilst also expanding our physical sales and after-sales infrastructure in line with the growth trajectory of the BYD product range.
He added that the deal was strengthened by “Eagers’ desire to innovate in line with our strategic plan to optimise the BYD customer experience with new retail formats, such as the recently opened Automall in Indooroopilly Shopping Centre in Brisbane, allowing us to offer BYD customers the best of online and in-store experience with an unrivalled national after sales support network.”
“We have been working closely with our Distributor Partner, EVDirect.com, on how best to implement an extensive network to provide immediate scale and support for our expanding range of new BYD products and are very excited with the inclusion of Australia’s largest dealership group Eagers Automotive as our retail dealer partner to complement our long-term relationship with EVDirect.com,” said Wing You.
Following the delivery launch of the Atto 3, EV Direct plans to add several more BYD electrics to its offerings. Two of these – expected to be an electric hatchback under the moniker “Atto 2” and a sleek sedan that may be dubbed the “Atto 4” – although neither names are yet official – will be made available for order online by the end of 2022, the company said.
EV Direct has also inked an agreement with national auto servicing network mycar, which also recently announced it is upskilling its auto technicians to be EV-ready.
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.
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