Chinese car giant BYD was inviting expressions of interest last year in the new upgraded version of the Atto 3, its first electric car in Australia that helped create the platform for the company to challenge industry giants Tesla and Toyota.
Now, the company has launched this new Atto 3 Evo in New Zealand and it will feature faster charging, a more powerful motor and a new drivetrain, which is a significant upgrade from the original Atto 3, which had a major impact on the Australian EV market when it was first released in 2022.
In an email sent to customers this week, BYD New Zealand outlined the key improvements on this model over the long-standing Generation 1, including the new advanced 800V e-Platform 3.0 architecture, faster charging, more range and enhanced performance.
The Atto 3 Evo will come in three variants, and the entry-level will still feature a front-wheel-drive powertrain setup:
- Dynamic – up to 420 km WLTP range
- Premium – up to 510 km WLTP range and 220 kW DC fast charging
- Performance AWD – 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds
Pricing of the Atto 3 starts at $NZ59,990 for the Dynamic, $NZ65,990 for the Premium with the RWD powertrain and $75,990 for the Performance with AWD.
Timing of delivery is expected to be in the coming weeks in the New Zealand market with reports from local EVs and Beyond publication confirming the arrival “in showrooms this month”.
The new variants of the Atto 3 in Premium spec come with either 230 kW of power on the RWD and 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 in NZ will come under the entry Dynamic variant.
On the battery pack front, the base uses at Blade Battery with a 60.48 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) pack, while the Premium and Performance feature a larger 74.88 kWh pack, featuring faster charging and greater power output, as stated above.
Like all the current models, the upgraded Atto 3 will feature Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capabilities. The car is 4.4 metres long, with a height of just over 1.6 metres.
At this stage, though, we expect the starting price of this model to be closer to $45,000 in Australia, given the current version with less power starts at under $40,000. More details on the upgraded BYD Atto 3 in Australia, including key local specifications and pricing, are likely to be announced in the coming months.
You can find The Driven’s detailed EV sales data here: Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2026; by model and by brand.
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