BYD does not want to play volume game with Atto 3 launch in India

The world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD is gearing up to roll out its electric SUV — the Atto 3 — in the next few months and it seems that it does not want to play the volume game in India and would be placing its offering in the premium segment.

The Chinese company had earlier introduced its E6 multi-purpose vehicle or MPV in India a few months ago and this was only for fleet customers. Even then, it had shied away from luring budget segment buyers.

The BYD Atto 3 will be a premium SUV in India.

According to newspaper reports, BYD is eyeing a target of selling 10,000 EVs that would be locally assembled in the country during the next two years.

So, this is a clear indication that BYD wants to go slow in India, at least initially. May be, after relations between India and China improve, it would also become a volume player in India’s EV space.

BYD India’s senior vice-president Sanjay Gopalakrishnan revealed that the company is planning to grow in the individual buyer segment in India.

This comes after it received an overwhelming response for its E6 MPV from corporate customers in the country.

The Chinese auto giant would also be showcasing its vehicle architecture and battery technology at the Delhi Auto Expo, revealed Gopalakrishnan.

BYD’s Atto 3 electric SUV is offered with two battery packs — 49.92 kWh and 60.48 kWh. The first battery pack comes with a range of 320 km on a single charge while the other battery pack offers 420 km.

So far as acceleration goes, the electric SUV can zoom from 0 to 100 km an hour in just 7.3 seconds. The BYD Atto 3’s motor belts out a power of 201 BHP while the torque generated is 310Nm.

Besides the comprehensive ADAS safety package, the BYD Atto 3 also has a litany of other safety features such as a tyre pressure monitoring system, 360-degree parking camera, hill-descent control as well as seven airbags.

Globally, BYD has surpassed Tesla in EV sales during this calendar year (up to June 2022). Till now, BYD has sold around 6.4 lakh (640,000) EVs this calendar year, and of this, 5.64 lakh (564,000) units were sold during the January-June period.

In the Indian market, the BYD Atto 3 electric SUV would slug it out with the likes of Hyundai Kona EV and MG Motor ZS EV.

The price of the Atto 3 is likely to be in the range of Rs 25-30 lakh (Rs 25,00,000-30,00,000), which is on the steeper side. BYD Atto 3 would be initially assembled at a facility near Chennai.

BYD has some of the biggest global investors backing it, and this includes Warren Buffet. Chinese companies are usually into budget products like some mobile manufacturers and there have sometimes been issues with products of these firms.

The company must ensure that at such a premium price point, its performance and safety issues are taken care of if it wants to be a long-term player in India’s and the global EV space.

BYD, at least in the near-to-medium term, could be testing India waters and may not want to play the volume game in the country immediately, and hence, it has placed the Atto 3 in the premium segment.