BYD has received approval for new, more powerful versions and new drivetrains of its first electric car in Australia, the Atto 3, which initially shook the Australian EV market back in 2022.
According to the approved documentation, the upgraded Atto 3 will be available in either Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) or All Wheel Drive (AWD) configurations. This was first spotted by an avid reader of The Driven, David C.
The new variants of the Atto 3 will come with either 230 kW of power on the RWD or 330 kW of power on the AWD top-spec model. These are up from the 150 kW power in the current front wheel drive version, which has seen tens of thousands of sales since launching almost four years ago.
Information on the battery isn’t revealed in the approval documentation but we expect it to be a BYD blade battery with potentially faster charging speed than that it the current car, which tops are 88 kW on a DC charger.
Like all the current models, we also expect the upgraded Atto 3 will feature Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capabilities.
From a dimensions point of view, the SUV is 4.4 metres in length with a height of just over 1.6 metres. Running clearance has also been provided in the documentation at 150 mm.
The RWD variant weighs 1,880 kg and can tow up to 750 kg, while the AWD version has a weight of over 1,990 kg, with braked towing capacity limited to 750 kg as well.
More details on the upgraded BYD Atto 3, including key local specifications and pricing, are likely to be announced later this year.
At this stage, though, we expect the starting price of this model to be closer to $45,000, given the current version with less power starts at under $40,000.
BYD has expanded rapidly in the Australian market since launching the Atto 3 in 2022, which at the time was one of the most affordable ground-up electric SUVs on sale.
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The company had forecast around 40,000 local deliveries in 2025 but exceeded that target by a wide margin, selling well over 50,000 vehicles for the year.
Growth for the brand has been driven by a combination of price reductions and frequent model launches, increasing both affordability and choice for EV buyers.
Toward the end of 2025, BYD also began deliveries of the Atto 2 electric SUV and the Atto 1, currently Australia’s cheapest EV, with a starting price below $24,000.
The current lineup of Atto series in Australia will have three models with the Atto 3 upgrades helping it bounce back in sales. If Atto 2 sales are any indication, the Atto 3 refresh could attract many new buyers, looking to make the switch to an EV in 2026.
