The BYD Atto 3 Is Priced Comparable To Some Standard 5-Seater ICE SUVs In South Africa

The BYD Atto 3 is now out there in South Africa. It was launched final Friday in Johannesburg. The Atto 3 could have 2 fashions in South Africa, a 49.92kWh Normal Vary mannequin ranging from R768,000, and a 60.48kWh Prolonged Vary mannequin. Each fashions have BYD’s Blade Battery. The Prolonged Vary Model ranging from R835,000.

Each fashions have a 150kW/310Nm everlasting magnet synchronous motor, front-wheel drive, and acceleration of 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds. The Normal Vary has a 345 km WLTP vary, and the Prolonged Vary model has a 420km WLTP vary. AC charging is as much as 7kW with a Sort 2 connector, and DC charging is as much as 70kW/80kW (CCS2), respectively.

The Atto 3 is a C-class SUV constructed on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0. Let’s take a look at 9 comparable 5-seater SUVs which are priced between R700,000 and R800,000 to see the place the ATTO 3 slots in.

Information from CARmag, BYD

The record will not be exhaustive, and I’ve chosen a couple of of the favored 5-seater small- to medium-sized SUVs which are out there in South Africa proper now, except the all new Volvo EX30 which will likely be out there from early subsequent yr (nevertheless, one can already place an order in South Africa now).

The record illustrates some important progress for the South African EV area, as lately as simply two months in the past, there was not a single battery-electric SUV/crossover within the R700,000 to R800,000 value vary, and now we have now 2 choices, the Normal Vary Atto 3, and the Volvo EX30. The Prolonged Vary Atto 3 falls outdoors this vary, touchdown at R835,000, however earlier than final month there was not a single EV crossover/SUV in his value vary. A lot of the EVs out there in South Africa earlier than then had been the bigger and extra premium SUVs ranging from over R1.2 million, with fairly a couple of of them going for over R1.7 million rand and into the higher R2 million value bracket.

From the desk above, it’s clear to see that the BYD Atto 3 and the Volvo EX30 are priced competitively to comparable ICE fashions. The upfront value distinction between a few of these standard ICE fashions and the BEVs is lower than $2,000, and given the decrease upkeep and fueling prices related to BEVs, this may occasionally swing much more folks trying to purchase a car on this phase to go for the Atto 3 and the Volvo EX30 than to purchase an ICE car. And this in a market with none incentives for BEVs! Think about if some incentives had been launched.

Curiosity in electrical automobiles is rising in South Africa. A survey included in final yr’s Auto Dealer South Africa’s Consumers Survey report confirmed that over 70% of South Africans can be eager about switching to electrical if that they had the choice to purchase an electrical car that prices lower than R500,000. Usually, just one EV mannequin might be discovered priced beneath R500,000, which is a used 7-year-old Nissan Leaf for about R380,000. The primary era Nissan Leaf was discontinued in South Africa a couple of years in the past, and the second era Leaf was not bought in South Africa. Probably the most listed electrical car is the BMW i3, for round R660,000. The excessive import duties and taxes levied on EV imports don’t assist, and hopefully the South African authorities will tackle this sooner moderately than later. There may be some progress a minimum of with the arrival of the BYD Atto 3, however its pricing would even be so a lot better if the duties and taxes had been lowered. I’m trying ahead to seeing which fashions will observe after the Atto 3 within the close to future.

Photographs courtesy of BYD South Africa.

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