BYD’s cheapest EV won’t be sub-$35K

Hopes of a long-mooted $35,000 electric hatchback from BYD appear to be fading.

The car is still coming, but it won’t cost $35,000.

That’s the stark warning from BYD Automotive Australia chief Luke Todd.

He admits the small five-door hatchback that’s on target for a mid-2023 arrival into Australia will more likely creep closer to $40,000. 

While that would still comfortably make it the most affordable battery electric vehicle in the country – undercutting BYD’s own newly launched Atto 3 ($44,381 plus on-road costs) and another small electric Chinese SUV, the upgraded MG ZS EV ($46,990 drive-away) – it’s yet another example of an EV ending up more expensive than originally forecast.

“We’re not talking about prices [for the BYD hatchback],” said Todd. “It’s going to be very competitive and pricing will come out as soon as we confirm.”

He says the car currently known as the Dolphin (or EA1 in some markets) – but soon to be rebranded with an Aussie name – will not be priced from under the $35K mark he initially suggested.

But the plan is to have the BYD hatchback on sale in Australia by the end of 2022 ahead of first local deliveries towards the middle of 2023.

There’s similar timing for the bigger mid-size electric sedan currently known as the Seal (its name will also change for Australia).

However, Todd also hinted that the BYD Seal – which is clearly going head-to-head with the Tesla Model 3 – may also not hit its original $50K pricepoint target.

But says it will undercut the Model 3: “[The BYD Seal] may not be 50 (thousand dollars), but it won’t be 70,” said Todd.

One of the challenges in pricing the Seal is that the Australian importer hasn’t yet decided on a local line-up.

With four BYD Seal variants to choose from – including single- and dual-motor variants with different trim levels – there could be a significant price spread.

“We don’t know yet whether we’re bringing in all four [Seal variants] or two,” said Todd.

He said at the very least Australians will be able to choose between two-wheel drive single-motor and dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains.

After limited sales of the T3 delivery van locally in 2021, the BYD brand was officially launched in Australia in February 2022, when the near-$45K starting price for the Atto 3 electric SUV was announced ahead of first deliveries earlier this month.

But Todd told carsales back in June 2021 that BYD would release three sub-$35K EVs by the end of this year, starting with the T3 in September 2021 and followed this year by the Atto 3 and Dolphin.

BYD has trademarked six new model names in Australia (although they are expected to change before the cars arrive) and will reportedly have six models in its local range by the end of 2023.

Beyond the Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal, BYD is known to be developing an electric sports car and ute.

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