A fresh alternative to established manufacturers is on the way, promising to undercut household names with an innovative approach.
Electric car customers are set to have a fresh option when BYD opens its doors to customers in coming weeks.
China’s “Build Your Dreams” will open a local showroom in Sydney in late 2021 as part of a deal with local importer Nexport Mobility.
The company is set to offer an electric SUV to rival MG’s ZS EV or the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro electric duo in 2022.
Already on sale overseas as the BYD Yuan Plus, the machine combines a 150kW/310Nm electric motor with an impressive battery pack offering more than 400 kilometres of range.
Tipped to go on sale for less than $40,000 drive-away, the Yuan Plus could become Australia’s most affordable electric car.
Nexport chief executive Luke Todd says the introduction of BYD “will be the tipping point where EVs will become mainstream with a better price and better quality of car”.
“We’re going to be the first company to bring in high quality EVs at price parity to internal combustion vehicles,” he said.
“Really for mainstream EV to be taken up in sizeable numbers, vehicles have to be desirable and one of those key aspects is to do everything a petrol car will do at the same price if not better.”
BYD initially planned to introduce the even cheaper EA1 hatchback, also known as the Dolphin, this year.
The compact machine is available with a range of batteries overseas that include a premium variant serving up 70kW of power and 300 kilometres of range.
Todd says the booming popularity of SUVs in Australia makes the Yuan Plus a more relevant machine than the Dolphin.
“We think that will spark Australians interest more than a smaller hatch,” he says.
“We’ll be taking orders this year ahead of delivery in Q2 next year. Our experience centre in Sydney will be open this year.”
Nexport Mobility will sell cars directly to customers rather than working with established dealer networks.
The company is a significant player in the growing electric bus segment and has already sold relatively small numbers of BYD machines in Australia.
BYD’s sharply priced E6 wagon combines a 70kW/180Nm electric motor with a 71.7kWh battery offering up to 520 kilometres of range for $39,990 plus on-road costs, or about $43,000 drive-away.
The commercial BYD T3 van is even cheaper at $34,950 plus on-road costs, which translates to less than $38,000 on the road in NSW and Victoria.
Powered by a 100kW motor, the T3 has up to 300 kilometres of range and a 700 kilogram cargo capacity.
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