Sixt to introduce BYD electric cars for hire in Australia
Sixt and BYD bring their cooperation Down Under as the German company will add at least 500 BYD EVs to the rental car fleet in Australia over the next twelve months. Sixt runs one of the country’s largest electric car fleets and works with BYD on other continents.
Sixt further expects the BYD Atto 3 vehicles to become the first electric BYD cars available for hire through Sixt from mid-2023. The BYD ATTO 3 features Blade Battery technology for ranges around 400 kilometres—the joint statement further positions BYD as the second leading EV car manufacturer in Australia.
Sixt went into the market with similar ambitions. The German company announced an expansion in Australia in 2021 through a franchise with the National Roads & Motorists’ Association (NRMA), immediately giving Sixt a 13% market share. Customers who hire any EV from Sixt can thus charge for free on NRMA’s EV fast-charging network and the National Chargefox network.
The new partnership with BYD will accelerate plans to convert half of its 16,000-strong rental fleets to electric in the coming years. Other electric cars on offer are the MG EV and Tesla Model 3.
The cooperation with BYD, however, is on a larger scale. In October 2022, the companies inked an agreement that guarantees Sixt access to up to 100,000 BYD electric cars over the next six years, i.e. until 2028. As in Australia, Sixt also opted for the BYD Atto 3 to come to Europe.
The Atto 3 utilises BYD’s proprietary EV platform 3.0, which includes an 800-Volt architecture and LFP cells. (The Tang EV and Han EV derive from ICE cars.). The Atto 3 EV measures 4.45 meters and has a 150 kW electric motor on the front axle. Sixt considers the EV “an expressive and dynamic C-segment SUV”, which BYD prices at €38,000 in Europe. At the time, Sixt stated the possibility of exploring other markets together.
Sixt claims around a third of the international car-sharing fleet already comprise electric vehicles, including e-scooters and e-mopeds. As reported, the company targets 70% and 90% of its fleet to be electrified by 2030 and has 2,100 branches in more than 100 countries.
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