First Drive: BYD’s Atto 3 arrives as a newcomer on the EV scene
The Atto 3 promises plenty of electric range, loads of in-car tech and good practicality too. Jack Evans finds out if it delivers.
What is it?
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You may not have heard of BYD yet, but we’re pretty sure that you’ll be seeing them a lot more soon. The Chinese firm has its background in battery technology, so creating electric cars was always going to be a good fit. In fact, it has sold around 3.5 million cars worldwide already but has so far refrained from the UK passenger car market. It has, however, produced electric buses here already.
That’s been the case until now. The BYD Atto 3 is its first full production car to arrive on these shores – it had previously trialled an older model called the E6 – but it’s doing so with a wealth of technology and plenty of – as you might expect – cutting-edge battery systems.
What’s new?
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The Atto 3 is underpinned by a clever new ‘Blade’ battery which can offer a higher power density – meaning more range – for less space and weight. It also makes up an integral part of the car as a whole, so it’s part of the structure rather than being an add-on – as is the case with some other cars.
Plus, BYD isn’t going down some new direct sale route for its cars. Instead, it has partnered up with a range of dealer groups – including Arnold Clark and Lookers – so that its cars will be available in physical dealerships up and down the country. In fact, BYD says that you’ll be able to get a new car within two weeks of ordering one.
What’s under the bonnet?
