BYD and MG slug it out with Australia’s cheapest EVs
MG ZS EV supplies running dry ahead of MY22 update, which could push prices above new BYD Atto 3A showdown is looming between two key Chinese brands, MG and BYD, with the launch of the 2022 BYD Atto 3 cutting across what is currently the most affordable electric car in Australia, the MG ZS EV.
The MG ZS still holds bragging rights as the cheapest EV on the market at $44,990 drive-away, but MG Motor has advised that there’s only “a small handful” – less than 50 – examples left in Australian dealerships.
It’s no longer listed on the brand’s local website and customer service reps are now steering prospective buyers towards other electrified models in the Chinese brand’s range – at least until the upgraded MY22 version of the ZS EV arrives in the second quarter of this year.
Asked whether MG would still have Australia’s most affordable EV with the upgraded series, considering the BYD Atto 3 – a small SUV, just like the ZS – has turned up at $44,381 plus on-road costs, an MG Motor spokesperson said the company was “unable to share details on spec or pricing at this time”.
But we’re expecting prices to rise in accordance with the increased specification seen in overseas markets such as the UK, where the upgraded small SUV scores fresh front and rear styling, LED headlights, new wheels and a new iSMART infotainment system with 10.1-inch touch-screen.
Importantly, the incoming MY22 MG ZS EV should also more closely match the BYD Atto 3 in offering a lithium-ion battery upgrade to 51kWh that lengthens the standard driving range from 262km to 320km (WLTP).
That’s on par with the BYD Atto 3 Standard Range which uses a 50.1kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery.
What’s more, MG has also developed a new ZS EV Long Range model with 72kWh battery pack that increases the range to 440km – slightly more than the Atto 3 Extended Range model (420km), which uses a 60.4kWh LFP battery and is priced at $47,381 plus ORCs.
First local deliveries of the BYD Atto 3 are expected in July, soon after the upgraded MG ZS EV launches.
They’ll be slugging it out in the same market segment, each offering a seven-year warranty and plenty of equipment for the price being asked.
The Atto 3 does, however, have a variety of unique selling points including a cutting-edge interior design and a large rotating central touch-screen that can alternate between landscape and portrait position.
Whereas BYD is yet to prove itself, MG’s small SUV was the second most popular EV in Australia last year with 1388 sales to the nameplate, deferring only to dominant Tesla Model 3 (12,094).
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