BYD Yuan Plus SUV Aussie details now ‘late February’

The sales agent for Chinese BYD electric cars in Australia has confirmed the Yuan Plus SUV will be the first full-time model it launches in Australia in 2022.

In an email to subscribers just days after rival Chinese brand Ora confirmed it will be in Australia next year and start-up Nio hinted at a 2025 arrival, EVDirect promised to have full Yuan Plus details, pricing, warranty, delivery timeline and the ability to pre-order made available on its website by late February.

UPDATE: BYD Yuan Plus to be called Atto 3 in Australia, details due February 19

It will be the first of four-to-six BYD models EVDirect says it will be offering in Australia via its factory-to-consumer model that cuts dealers out of the process.

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What the other models are EVDirect isn’t saying, but it did list the small EA1, Han sedan, Tang SUV and a mooted ute among other BYDs that have been the subject of public enquiry.

“We are unable to confirm timelines and availability of models that do not appear on our website,” the message noted.

“As soon as BYD models are scheduled for Australia, information will be made available on our website.”

The compact Yuan Plus is expected to have a different name when it rolls out in Australia. Just launching in China, it is based on BYD’s new e-Platform 3.0 and comes with a choice of 50.1kWh and 60.5kWh Blade battery packs that provide a claimed range up to 430km and 510km.

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

The boss of EVDirect and a key player in the import of BYD models to Australia, Luke Todd, had promised earlier this year that Yuan Plus details would be announced in October 2021, pre-sales would begin by the end of 2021 and it would be available by next April.

Obviously, at least some of these timelines have blown out, as they have on other commitment Todd has made, including having the EA1 on-sale in Australia by July 1 priced well under $35,000 – possibly under $30K. Plans to eventually build BYD passenger cars in Australia also appear to have been scrapped.

Todd previously said the Yuan Plus will retail under $40,000 in Australia, as part of a commitment to match ICE pricing.

The message to subscribers also confirmed EVDirect is “unsure” if any more battery electric BYD e6 people-movers or T3 vans EVs will be sold in Australia. Both had been available in extremely limited numbers in recent months (just 15 of each were confirmed for Australia) and are now “sold out”.

EVDirect also revealed plans for a financing arm which it says will be up and running by late February at the same time as an ‘experience centre’ is scheduled to open in downtown Sydney; signs are already up on the corner showroom in Woolloomooloo.

More experience centres are planned and a fleet of vehicles for test drives are to be allocated to each of them.

Home charging solutions will also be offered through charging partners.

All this follows on from last week’s appointment of Mycar Tyre and Auto as EVDirect’s national delivery and service partner.