When Tesla presented the Model 3, it took reservations from multiple countries where it has not delivered a single unit to this day. Indian customers were furious about this, especially after Tesla decided not to sell in that market: the government refused to give it tax incentives without an Indian factory in place. BYD did not care about any of this and announced on October 12 that it is taking reservations for the ATTO 3, its first vehicle for sale in India.
While Tesla took $1,000 from all its reservation holders back in 2016 – and most of those in India are still waiting for the refund – the Chinese company wants INR50,000 ($607 at the current exchange rate) to pre-order the electric SUV. Unlike Tesla, BYD said the first deliveries should happen in January 2023.
According to Business Standard, Ketsu Zhang, executive director of BYD India, said the Chinese automaker expects to sell 15,000 units of the ATTO 3 in India next year and to open a factory in the country “in due course.” That means it will do so when it has sales volume to justify the investment or plans to export vehicles from India to other countries. A plant there could feed RHD markets, such as Australia, Japan, and the UK. But it will not be the only one.
In September, BYD announced it bought a lot in Thailand to build a factory. This new factory will have the capacity to produce 150,000 electric cars per year. On October 11, the Chinese automaker also disclosed it would start operations in that country with the ATTO 3. On the same day, it presented the electric SUV in Laos, where BYD has sold its cars since 2019.
It is not difficult to understand why the ATTO 3 became the company’s primary choice for international markets. The C-segment SUV comes with the e-platform 3.0, Blade Batteries working at 800V, and has a pretty attractive design. Also known as Yuan Plus, it is 4.46 m (175.4 in) long, 1.87 m (73.4 in) wide, and 1.62 m (63.6 in) tall.
According to Business Standard, Ketsu Zhang, executive director of BYD India, said the Chinese automaker expects to sell 15,000 units of the ATTO 3 in India next year and to open a factory in the country “in due course.” That means it will do so when it has sales volume to justify the investment or plans to export vehicles from India to other countries. A plant there could feed RHD markets, such as Australia, Japan, and the UK. But it will not be the only one.
In September, BYD announced it bought a lot in Thailand to build a factory. This new factory will have the capacity to produce 150,000 electric cars per year. On October 11, the Chinese automaker also disclosed it would start operations in that country with the ATTO 3. On the same day, it presented the electric SUV in Laos, where BYD has sold its cars since 2019.
It is not difficult to understand why the ATTO 3 became the company’s primary choice for international markets. The C-segment SUV comes with the e-platform 3.0, Blade Batteries working at 800V, and has a pretty attractive design. Also known as Yuan Plus, it is 4.46 m (175.4 in) long, 1.87 m (73.4 in) wide, and 1.62 m (63.6 in) tall.
Fast and ready, the BYD ATTO 3 makes its debut in India today!#BYD #BuildYourDreams #BYDATTO3 pic.twitter.com/wgJutbxhs2
— BYD Global (@BYDGlobal) October 11, 2022