Motoring with Tony Conlon: A good value electric car you’ve never heard of

I’m long enough around the motor industry to remember the days when we used to service mainly English and German cars; then in the ‘70s came the Japanese in the form of Toyota and Datsun (now Nissan).

I had left the spanners behind when the Koreans came to the Irish market, and now it is the Chinese looking for a slice of the action.

In the wheel tracks of MG and the Great Wall Motor Company’s Ora Funky Cat, the massive Chinese automaker BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles and power batteries (whose name stands for ‘Build Your Dreams’), has just introduced a new brand and new technology to the Irish market with the arrival of its new, all-electric BYD Atto 3 SUV.

In Ireland, the BYD Atto 3 and all future BYD models launched on the Irish market will be distributed by Motor Distributors Ltd (MDL), a company recognised as one of Ireland’s leading and most distinguished motor vehicle distributors.

Since the 1940s, MDL has served as distributors in Ireland for many of the world’s leading motoring brands, including Volkswagen, Audi, Mazda and Skoda. Long-time distributor for Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the addition of the BYD brand to this company’s portfolio is a very interesting string to its bow, as BYD is big….very big.

First formed in 1995 by present chairman and president Mr Wang Chuanfu and 20 employees to make different kinds of batteries, BYD first entered the automotive industry in 2003. Producing its first plug-in electric car in 2008, today BYD employs 600,000 people including 49,000 engineers.

The only new energy vehicle (NEV) producer to have developed its own powertrain systems, power batteries, automotive semiconductors, drive motors and motor controller systems, BYD is bringing pinnacle technology and revolutionary battery expertise to the vehicles it produces, the Atto 3 included.

Initially, the Atto 3 will be available through dealerships in Dublin and Cork cities – BYD North Dublin, Navan Road; BYD South Dublin, Deansgrange, and BYD Cork Eastgate Business Park, Little Island. Additional sales dealerships will be announced shortly.

Designed by renowned German auto designer, Wolfgang Egger, the practical-looking and well-built Atto 3 has been styled with European customers in mind. Sitting on 18-inch alloy wheels, its distinctive sloping silhouette catches your attention from every angle at first glance.

BYD’s attention to detail can be seen throughout. The car is equipped with exceptionally high levels of standard equipment, including a panoramic sunroof and vegan leather upholstery.

The range consists of three trim model variants: Active, Comfort and Design.

With space for five, this SUV offers boot capacity from 440 litres to 1,338 litres. Combining modern aesthetics with intelligence and efficiency, smart connectivity and leading infotainment are other primary elements of this electric newcomer.

GPS navigation features as standard. A focal feature inside is its unique 12.8-inch rotatable touchscreen (15.6 inch on Design versions) and voice recognition.

The Atto 3 is the first SUV to be built on BYD’s ultra-intelligent, next-generation e-Platform 3.0. Other core features at the heart of the e-Platform are BYD’s cobalt-free Blade Battery, which surpassed the nail penetration test, regarded as the Mount Everest of battery safety tests, and its high efficiency heat pump.

The Atto 3 boasts an electric range of 420kms. During a short test drive on a mixture of Kildare roads, the front-wheel drive Atto’s 60.48 kWh Blade Battery combined with the permanent magnet synchronous motor can accelerate the car from 0-100km/h in just 7.3 seconds. Top speed is claimed to be 159km/h.

Depending on the size of the charger, the battery can be replenished from 30% to 80% in 29 minutes. Overnight charging from an almost empty battery to full range can be completed in just 6.5 hours.

All levels of the Atto 3 are equipped with an auxiliary function whereby external devices can be charged by the car battery.

In EuroNCAP safety tests, the car secured a five-star rating. Safety features in all models include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane keeping assistance and lane change assist among a raft of other safety systems.

Prices start from €37,128 (Active), rising to €38,964 (Design).