BYD importer EV Direct has confirmed that the first Atto 3s are now being loaded on trucks to be delivered to awaiting customers.
In a Facebook post on Thursday evening, the importer said: “The wait is almost over for our early adopters as we welcome these beauties into the country and ready them for our eager customers.”
It also shared a number of images of Atto 3s lined up in its warehouse, and loaded onto trucks.
Supply of electric vehicles – particularly affordable ones – has been a sticking point of late in Australia, as more drivers seek to make the switch to escape the fuel bowser. Because Australia has no fuel efficiency standards, there is little incentive for most carmakers to bring EVs here except in small numbers.
A report released by the Australia Institute underscored the billion dollar impact the country’s laggardly approach to increasing fuel efficiency has had, and there are increasing calls for stronger fuel emissions policy to shore up supply to reduce Australia’s transport-related carbon emissions and save consumers thousands.
EV Direct boss Luke Todd weighed in via LinkedIn on the role BYD – a newcomer to the local auto market – is playing in tackling the problem of supply, “There’s been a lot of press this week about why Australia is so far behind in electric vehicle adoption.
“Whilst others have been debating and waiting, EVDIRECT and BYD have been getting on with the job of building high quality affordable EVs for Australian families and I’m proud to say the first truckloads of BYD ATTO3’s are now rolling out across Brisbane and shortly thousands more across the country,” he said.
This is quite a big deal for thousands of local order holders who have been waiting patiently for the first affordable ground-up EV.
The arrival of BYD into the country is a milestone for EV uptake in Australia. It is carving the way for more affordable models at a time of elevated fuel prices and frequent climate change events. The rise of EV adoption in Australia is just around the corner and it will only go one way from here.
Truckload of right-hand drive BYD EVs spotted
The confirmation that Atto 3s are now being trucked to customers follows BYD’s Atto3 launch event in Brisbane last Tuesday, and now the first vehicles for customers have been spotted on the Gateway Bridge in Brisbane by a reader.
Snapped by an EV enthusiast from BYD EV Owners Australia Facebook group in Brisbane, the images below show four Atto 3 right-hand drive EVs on a Brisbane bridge, not far from the Port of Brisbane.
With such high demand for this affordable ground-up EV, over 129 local BYD order holders and enthusiasts have reacted to this post.
With BYD ramping up production to all-times high in July it is now gearing up to fulfil thousands of local orders.
But not soon enough for some. One of them in a humorous comment said: “Can we just have that truck divert via Melbourne and drop the white one off?”
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.