Production of the price-leading BYD Atto 3 Standard Range has been delayed, as priority is given to the top-selling Extended Range variant.
The 2022 BYD Atto 3 Standard Range has been hit with a new round of delays, as production priority is given to the more popular Extended Range variant.
BYD’s Australian importer EVDirect has advised customers the start of production of the Atto 3 Standard Range has been pushed to mid October, translating to delivery in November or December – about three months later than planned.
The delay is attributed to the popularity and “high-volume production requirements” of the more expensive Extended Range variant, which has so far accounted for 90 per cent of the 3000-plus orders taken since online sales opened in February.
First arrivals of the Atto 3 Extended Range are due in August or September – a previously-announced six to eight-week delay from the July launch initially scheduled, due to “supply chain issues and logistics disruptions”, as reported last week.
Order a vehicle today and you could expect delivery in November or December for the Extended Range, or December 2022 or January 2023 for the Standard Range, according to EVDirect’s website.
As recently as last week, the website listed September delivery for new orders for all variants except the red Extended Range, for which October was quoted.
Many customers waiting for a Standard Range have been offered the chance to skip the delay by upgrading to an Extended Range model in the same colour, while retaining their place in the queue, and delivery in August or September.
“Unfortunately, we have received advice from BYD in China that the production of the Standard Range Atto 3 vehicles will not commence until estimated mid-October with delivery to Australia scheduled to start in November-December,” EVDirect’s message to customers reads (posted to Facebook).
“This is due to the high-volume production requirements of the extended range option. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
EVDirect last week indicated to customers it had “secured increased dedicated production capacity to enable a steady supply of vehicles … from August 2022” – something that now likely applies to the Extended Range model.
An EVDirect representative told Drive this week the company is “comfortably” scheduled to deliver all 3000-plus outstanding orders by the end of this year – which would make it Australia’s second or third best-selling electric vehicle in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 currently leads at the half-year point, with just under 5000 deliveries (slowed by stock shortages) – though similarly-strong volumes are expected once Tesla’s Model Y SUV arrives in Australia over the coming months.
The BYD Atto 3 is the country’s cheapest electric vehicle in some states, with prices as low as $44,990 drive-away – but beyond $47,000 in others, being undercut by the MG ZS EV Excite that’s $46,990 drive-away nationwide.
The delay to Australian Standard Range deliveries comes as the first Atto 3s dock in New Zealand, as dealer demonstrators that will become available to test drive across the Tasman before the end of the month
Customer deliveries in New Zealand are slated to begin towards the end of August.
To read Drive’s recent coverage on the BYD brand’s Australian launch, click the links below.
MORE: 2022 BYD Atto 3 deliveries delayed by up to two months
MORE: BYD Australia finalises deal with Eagers dealer network
MORE: 2022 BYD Atto 3 video review: Australian first drive
MORE: 2022 BYD Atto 3 price and specs
Image above via the BYD Australia owners’ group on Facebook.
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