BYD Atto 3 details February 19 … the EV SUV formerly known as Yuan Plus

Official Australian pricing and other details of the Chinese BYD Yuan Plus electric SUV will be announced February 19.

And as expected it won’t actually be called Yuan Plus in Australia. Instead it looks like the EV SUV is going to be known as the Atto 3, even though Atto 3 hasn’t yet been registered with IP Australia.

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Full details, pricing, warranty, delivery timeline and the ability to pre-order the compact SUV will be available at the website of Australian sales agent evdirect.com.au late on February 19.

But go to the site now and you’ll find a promo for the BYD Atto 3 with the promise it will launch 7pm AEDT on February 19.

That’s one hour after the first BYD EV Experience Centre in Sydney’s inner-city Darlinghurst will have its gala opening.

The event, being publicised by Sydney PR schmoozer Max Markson, is promised in the official invitation to be a “a star-studded red carpet event to welcome the BYD brand and the exciting 2022 range of BYD electric cars coming to Australia”.

At this stage the Atto 3 is the only confirmed BYD vehicle being unveiled, but a Han sports sedan should be there as one has been in Australia for months, while the small hatchback EA1 – which has been touted as a sub-$35,000 EV – could also make an appearance.

An email to evdirect.com.au subscribers yesterday said the Darlinghurst site would open within weeks once “finishing touches” are complete.

The email also confirmed – as another email did in December – the sell-out of the limited edition BYD E6 and T3 EVs here and “BYD plans to release up to six models over the next 24 months” in Australia.

The language is interesting because the managing director of evdirect is Sydney businessman Luke Todd, who has long been wrangling the BYD importation into Australia.

Todd had been CEO of both TrueGreen Mobility and transport manufacturing business Nexport – two companies seen as as integral to BYD’s Australian import plans – until replaced in both those positions last November.

In recent times BYD Australia has also advertised for an Electric Passenger Car-Channel Development Manager to develop and establish a dealership channel and structure of BYD’s electric passenger vehicle.

The intriguing thing about that is evdirect – as its name suggests – is direct-to-consumer retailing that sells via the internet with deliveries and servicing via the mycar network.

Clearly BYD Australia thinks there are going to be some dealers involved at some point. Could it be that evdirect will change or expand its business model or it may not always be the only sales agent for BYD EVs in Australia?

Anyway, back to the Atto 3, or Yuan Plus as we’ve known it until now. Based on BYD’s new e-Platform 3.0, the five-seater comes with a choice of 50.1kWh and 60.5kWh Blade battery packs that provide a claimed range up to 430km and 510km. Todd has previously said with some models there may be specific changes made for markets such as Australia, including the capacity of the batteries. It’s not known if this will happen with the Atto 3.

It is powered by a 150kW/310Nm e-motor that enables 0-100km/h acceleration in 7.2 seconds.

It is one of a significant number of new EVs arriving in Australia, including BYD’s Chinese rival Ora, which will import the Great Cat small car.