BYD offers Australia’s lowest cost EV, starting at $29,990, in new price bombshell

BYD has announced the pricing of what will be Australia’s lowest-cost electric car – starting at under $30,000 – as the New Year price war continues apace.

On offer from the Chinese manufacturer are new variants of the 5-star ANCAP rated Dolphin and Atto 3 EVs that come in the form of what the brand is calling the “Essential” range, with pricing of the Dolphin Essential starting at $29,990 before on-roads. 

This will come thousands of dollars under the current Dolphin Dynamic variant, which starts at $36,890 before on-roads.

The second new variant is the Atto 3 Essential, which, for the first time, brings the price of the Atto 3 under $40,000, with prices starting at $39,990 before on-roads.

BYD’s local distributor, EV Direct’s CEO, David Smitherman said: “This is a win for the everyday Australian, and a significant moment in Australia’s automotive evolution,” said the head of BYD’s local distributor, EV Direct’s CEO, David Smitherman.

“We’re delivering on our commitment to simplify the transition to new energy vehicles. Importantly, despite significant savings, the Essentials range doesn’t compromise on safety, driveability or range.”

The Dolphin Essential comes with the same drivetrain as the Dynamic variant, which has a 44.9 kWh battery pack that delivers up to 340 km of WLTP range.

To bring the costs down, it does take away comfort-related features found on the Premium model such as panoramic glass roof, folding mirrors, front heated seats and NFC key.

On the Atto 3 Essential, a 49.92 kWh blade battery can deliver up to 345 km of WLTP range on a single charge.

From the Premium variant, the Essential variant takes away the panoramic sunroof, auto tailgate, roof rails, heated seats, smaller infotainment screen and a few others to bring the new entry variant for $39,990.

The new Essentials range announcement comes just a day after BYD announced the launch of the new Sealion 7, which the brand’s distributor dubbed as an expected “number one selling” EV in its lineup. 

The new Essentials range will be arriving in March and will be made available to order from 13 January.

The new offer from BYD comes after price cut announcements for both the Cupra Born and the Nissan Leaf in what is expected to be a year of intense price competition in the Australian market.