The letters BYD stand for « Build Your Dreams » and these are not empty words for the Chinese brand. Founded in 1995 as a manufacturer of car batteries, it has since experienced exponential growth and is active in four sectors: automotive, electronics, renewable energy and rail transport. In 2008, it built its first car (a plug-in hybrid) with the F3DM, only for sale in China.
Today, BYD is ready to conquer Europe with fully electric models. Incidentally, the company has had a European headquarters based in the Netherlands since 1998 and has been offering buses and electric forklifts on our continent for some time. In 2014, a series of BYD e6s entered service as electric taxis in Brussels. 2022 finally, the brand now feels ready to take the next step: to become a “major” player in the electric passenger car market in Europe. In our country, this will be done through the importer Inchcape, which is also Toyota’s Belgian importer, although the negotiations between the two parties have not yet been fully finalized.
The BYD cars that will be sold in Belgium are the Atto 3, a compact SUV, the Tang, a large SUV and the Han, a four-door sedan the size of a Tesla Model S. These three models are equipped with the battery innovative Blade from BYD, which is much more compact but also much safer than traditional EV batteries. Additionally, the battery is an integral part of the chassis, which has beneficial effects on structural rigidity and interior space.
For Europe, given the importance of the C-SUV segment on our continent, BYD sees the Atto 3 as its greatest potential, as it is a 4.45m long SUV. This front-drive vehicle with a single 204 hp electric motor is equipped with a 60.48 kWh battery, giving it a WLTP range of 420 km. It can accommodate five people in an interior that stands out for its very original design. This car is very spacious with a wheelbase of 2720 mm. Thanks to the arrangement of the batteries in the chassis, the floor at the rear is completely flat. The trunk is also very large, with its 440 to 1338 liters. The Atto 3 is the first SUV based on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0, which also hosts the Seal four-door sedan, but the latter has yet to cross Europe.
The Tang (a name derived from Chinese culture that has nothing to do with powdered “fruit” juices) is larger in size with a body length of 4.87m. It offers space for seven passengers (standard!). Here, two electric motors (one at the front and one at the rear) provide all-wheel drive with a total output of no less than 516 hp. Despite an announced weight of 2.5 tons (not yet officially confirmed), this stable results in an acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.6 s.
The SUV sits on 22-inch wheels and can count on an 86.4 kWh battery pack to cover 400 km according to the WLTP cycle. Thanks to its 2820 mm wheelbase, the Tang can carry up to seven occupants, although the two rear seats are more reserved for children. The volume of the boot varies from 235 l with all the seats in place, to a maximum of 1655 l, passing through 940 l in the five-seater configuration. Like those of the Atto 3 and Han, the Tang’s battery can be charged from 30 to 80 percent in half an hour on a DC charger (up to 110 kW).
The Han uses the same powertrain as the Tang, but thanks to its lower weight and its particularly attractive Cx of 0.21, it achieves 521 km WLTP of range and only needs 3.9 s to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in Sport mode. With its 4.99 m long, this four-door sedan has nothing to envy to the Tesla Model S. Thanks to its wheelbase which, at 2920 mm, is even longer than that of the Tang, this elegant four-door coupé-like features a truly royal interior space. But she only has 410 liters of luggage in her trunk. Plus, you have to push everything into the cargo area like a pizza through an oven because of the short trunk lid.
Although pricing and such will have to wait for the Paris show, where the European range will officially launch, we already know there will likely be just one trim level for each model with almost everything standard including a roof. panoramic opening. All three models are also equipped with a large infotainment screen whose orientation can be changed from landscape to portrait mode or vice versa. Just press a button to electrically rotate the entire screen. In addition, it reacts particularly alert to touch and the menu structure seems easy to grasp at first glance. And those who assume that Chinese is synonymous with sloppy workmanship, are wrong in this case, because at first glance, the quality impression did not seem to be a problem.
For this introduction, we were able to drive the Atto 3, the Tang and the Han on a closed track and not on public roads. More extensive testing will follow after the Paris Motor Show in October, but all three have already left us with a surprisingly positive impression. We expected to say that they drive well « for Chinese cars », but in fact, they drive well at all. The chassis are clearly on point and the drive units are developed well enough for demanding European riders. The comfort/equipment ratio seems quite good, even in the Tang and its giant 22-inch wheels, at least from what we could judge on the test track, which we couldn’t deviate from.
The only thing we could point out is that the driving sensations of the Tang and Han feel a little artificial, without being disturbing. The Atto 3’s steering feels much more natural, but we did notice some fairing noise, while outside the air conditioning compressor seemed a little loud at times. It is remarkable that all models are equipped with quality tires from major European brands (in this case Continental, Goodyear). This proves the seriousness with which BYD approaches the European market. Besides, they also work with many other big European names, like Brembo for the brakes.
The BYD Atto 3, Tang and Han leave a surprisingly positive first impression. However, their success will largely depend on their prices, due to a brand image that does not yet exist in Europe. And given the technology and equipment on offer, BYD probably won’t make as much profit as other Chinese EV brands like Aiways or MG. On the positive side, BYD makes a strong case for prompt delivery of ordered cars, as it produces many of the parts needed for EVs itself, such as the motor and semiconductors…
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