BYD is heading to Europe with an electric car trio

Waiting times for electric cars in Europe are sometimes very long. Chinese manufacturers see this as an opportunity for expansion – especially BYD. The carmaker from Shenzhen has now announced details of its upcoming market launch with electric cars in Europe. The launch models will be the Atto 3, Tang and Han.

++ This article has been updated; please continue reading below. ++

BYD is already present in Norway, next the company will deliver its electric cars first to Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, before the markets in France and Great Britain are to be served before the end of this year. BYD intends to successively cover all important markets in Europe. “Europe is the cradle of the car industry and has a strong spirit of innovation,” expresses BYD Chairman Wang Chuanf.

On offer in Europe, as expected, are the three battery-electric models Atto 3, Tang EV and Han EV. The former is a compact SUV sold in China as the Yuan Plus. The latter two are an e-SUV and an e-sedan. For the first time, BYD is now officially providing key technical data on the trio, including WLTP ranges. The trio will be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in mid-October 2022, but we take a closer look at the individual models below.

The Atto 3 is the only one of the three European models that is based on BYD’s own electric car platform e-platform 3.0. This is an 800-volt platform. The Chinese manufacturer claims to have developed the Atto 3 specifically for European customers. The vehicle can be located in the C-segment, it measures 4.455 x 1.875 x 1.615 metres.

As a front-wheel drive vehicle, the compact SUV has 150 kW, acceleration to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds and 160 km/h top speed. BYD specifies a battery capacity of 60.48 kWh, which should be enough for a range of 420 kilometres according to WLTP. Regarding the battery, the manufacturer specifies that the Atto 3 (like the other two models for Europe) will have BYD’s own Blade battery with LFP cells on board. As far as the charging behaviour is concerned, it only says that the battery can be brought from 30 to 80 per cent SoC in 29 minutes via DC charging.

What else? According to the company, the boot capacity of the five-seater is 440 litres. It can be expanded up to 1,338 litres thanks to folded rear seats. The compact SUV stands on 18-inch wheels and (like the other two) has a panoramic roof as standard.

Like the Tang EV, the Han EV is still based on a multi-energy platform. In China, both models are also offered as plug-in hybrids. In Europe, however, as mentioned, only the battery-electric versions will be sold. The “sleek and sporty sedan”, according to the accompanying press release, will be launched as an all-wheel-drive vehicle on 19-inch wheels. The combined power of the dual engine system delivers 380 kW, the sprint time from 0 to 100 km/h is 3.9 seconds. At top speed, the 4.995-metre-long, 1.910-metre-wide and 1.495-high saloon reaches 180 km/h. The energy storage on board is 85 kW.

The onboard energy storage comes in at 85.4 kWh, which should bring the Han EV’s range to 521 kilometres according to WLTP. The DC charging time is similar for all three vehicles. For the Han EV, it takes 30 minutes to charge the battery from 30 to 80 per cent. Unlike the other two vehicles, the boot capacity of the five-seater sedan is not expandable: it is set at 410 litres.

Third in the line-up is the  SUV Tang EV – a seven-seater on 22-inch wheels with all-wheel drive. It shares the engine system with the Han sedan, so it also has 380 kW of power and a top speed of 180 km/h. Only in the acceleration to 100 km/h is the SUV slightly slower at 4.6 seconds due to its mass. BYD gives the vehicle dimensions as 4.870 x 1.950 x 1.725 metres.

With 86.4 kWh, the Tang has the highest battery capacity of the trio. In the WLTP cycle, this should result in up to 400 kilometres. The charging specifications are identical to those of the Han sedan. The storage volume in the boot of the seven-seater is variable and amounts to 235 or 940 or 1,655 litres. BYD announces that the Tang will come with a high level of equipment as standard. Details will be announced at a later date. In Norway, BYD is already on the market with the electric SUV.

For all three models, BYD offers an eight-year warranty on the battery. The provisional base prices for Europe, calculated on the basis of the already known German prices, are 38,000 euros for the Atto 3 and 72,000 euros each for the Tang and the Han. According to BYD, these pre-sale prices are a reference from Germany and may differ in other European markets. BYD will publish the final specifications and the final recommended retail prices in October during the official presentation at the Paris Motor Show.

Regarding the prices, it was already suspected in advance that BYD, as a newcomer, will position itself somewhat below the established Western manufacturers, but will also offer more extensive equipment for the lower base price. In fact, the price of the Atto 3 is somewhat lower than, for example, the VW ID.4. This also fits in with BYD’s brand claim in China: they want to be suitable for the masses, but at the same time they want to fulfil a premium claim.

In Germany and Sweden, the BYD models are to be sold in cooperation with the Hedin Group. This will also involve real dealers, not just pure online sales. Earlier media reports have also suggested that in Germany, due to the significantly larger population, other distribution partners could be added in addition to Hedin.

Update 13 October 2022

BYD has appointed Denzel Group as its distributor in Austria. Denzel Group will immediately start building the BYD dealer network in the country and sell the first three EV models offered by BYD in Europe. The first BYD branch is scheduled to open in Vienna in December.

bydeurope.com, update Austria via email.