BYD offers free home chargers in NZ as EV demand appears to weaken

Chinese car maker BYD launched its electric vehicle range in the Australian and New Zealand market in 2022 with the all-electric Atto 3 SUV. By the end of the year, the BYD Atto 3 was the third best-selling EVs in both countries.

Now there are new offers on the table for new BYD Atto 3 owners in the country from February 2023 which shows that demand for some models might be weakening.

BYD in New Zealand sent an email on Tuesday highlighting a special offer available to new buyers of the BYD Atto 3 in the country. 

New owners will now not only receive the standard clean car rebate of $8,625 on these variants but now have the option of either:

• Complimentary Wallbox charger or,
• 6-year servicing plan

The email covers what the offer for new owners might look like:

“For a limited time, choose EITHER A 6-year Service Plan or a Wallbox with every new BYD ATTO 3 Extended range purchased.”

The Wallbox unit offer excludes installation which would have to be paid for by the new owners of the Atto 3.

The offer is also limited to the top two variants in New Zealand including the Extended range as well as the Tachyon edition:

“Offer available from 1st February 2023, and is only available on the BYD ATTO 3 Extended range at RRP of $62,490 and the BYD ATTO 3 Tachyon at RRP of $70,490.”

The top-of-the-range Tachyon variant isn’t offered in Australia. A video by an NZ EV YouTuber, EV Quest highlights some of the key visual features offered in this variant.

This includes dark trims in many parts of the car and upgraded seats.

The Driven has kept a close eye on BYD’s launch in New Zealand from the time of the first shipment in the country back in early July to Kiwi order holders getting the first test-drive experiences later that month.

The new offers come as a surprise as the BYD Atto 3 was the best-selling EV in the country last the month with 235 deliveries according to NZ Transport Agency. This was behind Tesla who delivered 194 EVs to New Zealand owners in January 2023.

In Australia, BYD has done very well since launching and with the imminent launch of the New more affordable BYD Dolphin in 2023, it’s going to be the brand’s best year. 

Given the lack of affordable all-electric options in Australia, it’s unlikely that similar offers to those offered to new Atto 3 buyers will be offered to Australian customers anytime soon.