BYD to launch Australian Megastores as Eagers invests more in local sales venture

BYD – the second best selling electric vehicle brand in Australia after Tesla – is to  build a series of “Megastores” in Australia as part of a deal between its Australian distributor EVDirect and established car distributor Eagers Automotive a

The first of these BYD megastores will be opening in Sydney and Brisbane by early spring this year and will provide a new experience to drivers looking at making the switch to an EV by offering educational experiences around the BYD brand and its products.

“The BYD Megastore concept heralds a new era of automotive retail, providing customers with an immersive and educational experience into the BYD brand and product range,” says EVDirect CEO Luke Todd.

BYD has launched the popular Atto 3 electric SUV – with nearly 7,000 deliveries to the end of May – and plans to launch four additional BYD models in Australia by the end of 2024. 

“The first year of deliveries of BYD products has been highly successful and unprecedented by volume and nationwide expansion. With four more BYD models slated for release and delivery in Australia by the end of 2024, the BYD brand will continue its exponential growth,” Todd said.

One of these would include the highly anticipated BYD Seal sedan that has been spotted various times testing across the country.

As part of the deal announced on Monday, Eagers will spend $70 million for an additional 31 per cent stake in the joint venture, EV Dealer Group Pty Ltd, taking its stake to 80 per cent.

The additional investment allows the joint venture to launch dedicated BYD service and fulfilment centres across major cities in Australia. 

The first of these centres will be located in Mascot, NSW and is expected to open in August, 2023. This centre will be able to prepare and deliver up to 100 EVs every day which is a sizeable number given the increase in EV demand in Australia.

This comes on the back of BYD launching Australia’s most affordable EV in June with the first deliveries expected to start later this year in September.

When asked by The Driven about how the BYD Dolphin has been received since launching last month with an asking price of $38,890, before on road costs, Todd said:

“It’s exceeded our expectations. The pre-order volume was higher than we had forecasted, which is always a good indication.

“This is the first vehicle that takes on the internal combustion engine market.”

The BYD Dolphin is also one of the few vehicles on the market to offer premium paint colours at no cost to the customer, further driving the affordability factor for those looking at making the switch to an EV.

On total sales, Todd shared that the brand has so far exceeded every target and the future is all about growth: “We’ve exceeded every target and now we’re entering a new phase,”.

With the BYD Atto 3 sales growth and the launch of the upcoming Dolphin hatchback, the second-best-selling EV brand is looking at scaling its operations for current and future customers. 

The newly announced BYD Megacentres will form part of this growth along with the dedicated BYD service and fulfilment centres to drive more EVs onto Australian roads.