Could we expect to see an increase in BYD car sales in Ireland by the end of the year?
In the first two months of 2023, over 5,800 electric vehicles were registered in Ireland, accounting for 41% of total new registrations so far this year. Despite the significant increase in electric vehicle sales, Irish consumers have mostly remained loyal to well-known brands. The Volkswagen ID 4 was the highest-selling EV model in Ireland last year, followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and more expensive models like the Tesla Model 3 and the BMW i3.
BYD, a Chinese conglomerate manufacturer based in the southern city of Shenzhen, has been listed multiple times as one of the world's most innovative companies and has been involved in several large-scale projects both in China and beyond. In 2022, BYD made headlines by announcing that it would be discontinuing the production of combustion engines. Following this announcement, the production of BYD's electric cars and plug-in hybrids has seen a significant increase, rising by 93% in the first quarter of 2023. By the end of the quarter, BYD's electric vehicle and hybrid sales had surpassed those of Tesla, with over 1.86 million models sold by the Chinese conglomerate.
While seeing BYD cars on Irish roads may still be a novelty, the industrial giant recently announced its intention to expand to the Irish, UK, and European markets.
As always, Wattcharger's experts are here to analyze the costs, benefits, and overall feasibility of BYD cars in Ireland.
This spring, BYD announced its plans to introduce the Atto 3 to the Irish market through the Motors Services Limited (MSL) group. Initially, BYD cars will only be available at three dealerships across the country – two of the distributors are in Dublin and one in Cork, with the cars expected to be in stock as early as next week. Although the introduction of BYD electric car models to Ireland will be modest at first, the Chinese electric car manufacturing titan has been producing up to 2,000 models per day at its new factory in the central Chinese province of Anhui.
Heavy investments from the Chinese State into the nation's automotive industry have resulted in exponential growth for both BYD and the wider electric vehicle industry in China. With the growth of capital at its disposal, BYD began to expand globally and in 2021, started marketing cars in Scandinavia. Norway, which already had the highest number of EVs in Europe, was the first European market to see BYD models. A year later, BYD was named the fifth-best-selling battery-powered vehicle in neighboring Sweden. It has also been very active in the German EV market, where over 90% of existing EV models are produced locally.
BYD has grand plans to expand into the European market over the coming years, with hopes to introduce nine different models, six of which are expected to be available in Ireland.
While Ireland has yet to see the multitude of BYD models that have been steadily flowing into other European countries, EV enthusiasts in Ireland are about to get a good taste of one of BYD’s craftiest models. The Atto 3 was released in China in early 2022, and by using it as one of its first forays into the Irish EV market, BYD is aiming to put its best foot forward. The Atto 3 is the newest model in BYD’s “Dynasty Series” and is one of the manufacturer’s latest BEVs. The model gets its name from the nanoscopic term describing the value of 10 to the power of -18, known as an "attosecond." It uses a 150kW front-wheel drive electric motor and is charged using a 60.5 kWh battery pack. Long before entering the EV space, BYD was a leader in the Chinese battery technology and manufacturing industry. By using lithium-ion phosphate “Blade Batteries”, the Atto 3’s battery warms slowly, emits very little heat, and has no oxygen, rendering BYD cars very well protected against potential overheating scenarios. With a width of 1615 mm and a length of 4,455 mm, the five-seater vehicle has a range of about 420 km (261 miles) and is supported through both AC and DC charging plug types. It will take approximately 7.3 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h.
The Atto 3 is set to hit the Irish car market in late April, with a starting price of €37,128 for the "Comfort Trim model" and €38,964 for the "Design Trim." In addition, owners in Ireland can expect to pay a motor tax of around €120 per year.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is responsible for facilitating the adoption of electric vehicles and other sustainable solutions. Eligible applicants can receive up to €600 towards the installation of an electric charger on their property. The Atto 3 is compatible with the market-leading EV charger, The Zappi. Moreover, taxi drivers or other SPSV operators can receive up to €20,000 towards the purchase of a new EV, such as the Atto 3.
While the Atto 3 will undoubtedly be the first glimpse of BYD for most Irish consumers, the conglomerate has several other models that could be introduced to Ireland relatively soon.
Two other BYD cars pending release in Ireland include the Han and the Tang. Both models have already been available to consumers in other European markets. The Han features an 85.4 kWh battery, allowing it to reach 100 km/h in under four seconds. The BYD Han also features all-wheel drive and can reach speeds of up to 180 km/h.
The BYD Tang is an even larger model, with a length of 4,870 mm, and the system output clocks in at around 350 kW, making it more than three times as powerful as the Atto 3 model.
Other EVs from BYD in the Chinese car market include the BYD Seal and the BYD Dolphin, which are both set to hit the wider European market later this year. The Seal has an 82-kWh blade battery and can outpace the Atto 3 with a charge range of 520 km. The BYD Dolphin, similarly to the Atto 3, uses a front-mounted 150-kW electric motor. Both models are available for pre-sale in June and are expected to cost somewhere in the realm of €30,000 and €35,000.