Although Build Your Dreams (BYD) might sound like a generic Chinese brand, it was actually backed by one of the world's most astute financial minds, Warren Buffett. In 2022, BYD sold over 1.8 million electric vehicles and it is presently growing faster than Tesla. The arrival of BYD in the UK has been hotly anticipated and Octopus EV has now announced a landmark partnership to make BYD EVs available through its salary sacrifice scheme. Should Musk be concerned?
The first order is for 5,000 BYD ATTO 3 cars, which have a WLTP range of 260 miles, will hit 60mph in around 7 seconds using a 150kW motor and can pull down 88kW from a DC charger – getting from 30-80% in 29 mins. The top speed is 100mph, which is plenty of UK motorways. The boot will give you 555 litres of storage in standard configuration and that goes up to 1,338 with the seats down. It also has a 5 star NCAP safety rating.
From the driver's point of view, there is a comfortable cabin, Apple and Android connectivity and a standard range of safety and assistance features including intelligent cruise control, lane keep assistance and rear cross traffic alerts.
There are a couple of variations on trim, so the ATTO 3 is expected to have a UK purchase price between £35,000 and £39,000. You can check out the brochure here.
According to Octopus EV, its all-in-one salary sacrifice service should provide everything a driver needs to get on the road with BYD (and 85 other cars), including the car itself, charge point installation and specialist EV energy tariffs. Octopus EV will be BYD’s recommended salary sacrifice partner for UK businesses.
Oliver Boots, Chief Commercial Officer at Octopus Electric Vehicles, told media: “When Octopus Electric Vehicles launched, there were only a handful of EVs on the market – we’re now at more than 85 and the figure is rising all the time. Customers have an amazing range of models to choose from, all of which are at the cutting edge of tech and are fun to drive. Being able to partner with BYD as they launch in the UK is a real milestone. They’re a global leader and we’re looking forward to being able to offer our 5* Trustpilot service to customers – accelerating our growth and moving us another step closer to zero emission transport in the UK.”
Michael Shu, General Manager and Managing Director, BYD Europe and International Cooperation Division, said: “We are delighted to enter this cooperation with Octopus EV. This is an exciting new chapter for BYD as we bring our latest products and leading technologies to customers in the UK, as shown in our innovative range of electric passenger cars, starting with the BYD ATTO 3. BYD staunchly believes in partnerships with like-minded organisations, and our shared commitment to eMobility and sustainable innovation for a greener future, endorses our mutual aims.”
Whether the high-end BYD Han and capacious BYD Tang follow, we'll wait to see.