I Bought a BYD Atto 3 So You Didn't Have Too. Anything You Would Like to Know About It?

pegaxs on 17/09/2022 - 09:37
Last edited 13/10/2022 - 07:49

I ended up buying a BYD Atto 3, partially because I wanted an EV, somewhat because I didn't want a Tesla and mostly out of spite (As per that comment, it's even complete with wankery number plate). I wanted to put my money where my mouth is and buy one of these "cHiNa CaR bAd" EV's so maybe you don't have to.

I took delivery of it from Sydney (Castle Hill BYD) and promptly drove it back to work up the F4 freeway and back to work (About 200km journey). Consumption was ok (but there is no way this car is getting anywhere near the optimistic 480km range on the highway.) and used an average of about 17kWh/100km.

I ended up getting white, because I'm a tight arse and it was $0 for white ($700 for other colours) and it is not white. It's not even "Pearl White"… it's silver. For comparison, it was sitting next to a silver Navara at the dealership (they share with Nissan) and it was more silver than the Navara.

Quick thoughts

Fit and finish: Very good. I would absolutely say it was on a par with Kia and Hyundai. Seats are really nice. Dash material, not so much. Paint is all good and no massive panel gaps or piss poor painting.

Colours: Interior colours are much more muted and acceptable compared to the original LHD one they were showing in Darlinghurt. And as above, white is not "white".

Performance: About what you would expect from a 1.6 turbo, or a 2.0+ 4 cyl. engine, just way more torque. Regen is disappointing, it's either not enough, or too much. No one pedal driving.

Features: Yep, it's got them. Every anagram you can think of, it's there somewhere. Radar cruise is good and much better than the work Outlander. Lane Keep Assist is a little intrusive, but can be turned off. Cameras are amazingly clear.

Infotainment: Yep, well, that's a hot mess. No AA/ACP, (but AA can be side loaded for now.) Radio randomly reset volume when you turn vehicle off and on again. But all in all, LOTS of features and settings and it is a very snappy display with no lag.

Climate control: It works? All done through media control.

Ride comfort: Meh. Better than my Outlander, not as good as my Fiat. Around town and over bumps and rough surface, it's good. Around fast curves, it's a whale.

Economy: On the freeway/highway, not to bad, better than expected (expected 200~250km, got about 350km) around town, excellent. On one drive, I left home at 75%, got home with 76%.

Noise: Very quiet inside. It is very well insulated. It's no BMW 7 series, but it's certainly no Hyundai Accent. The "pedestrian warning" (drone noise up to 30km/h) feels like it resonates a bit, but swapping it from standard to dynamic helped. (I want a custom pedestrian warning noise.)

Size: Bigger than a Toyota Yaris Cross, a bit smaller than an Outlander. Interior is big compared to the outside would have you believe (I borrowed neighbors cat to swing around to test.) Seats are a good size, rear leg room is massive, boot space is, "average". not small, but not huge. I am 6'2" (188cm) and my head fit well within the car with a good 80~100mm between my head and the roof.

All in all, a really solid first impression. It drives well, is built well, handles on the upper side of "ok", power is good and range is not to bad… So, if you have any questions about the car, want to know anything or want a photos of something in particular, or just want to hang it on me for buying a Chinese EV, have at it.

Remember, I early adopted here so you don't have too, and I am not some paid off shill working for an auto review site/publication, so if it is a piece of shit, I'll say it, if it has issues, I'll certainly let you know and I am not here to defend the vehicle like some fanboi. To me, it is transport, not a love story. It's a family car, so it needs to be treated like one.

Edits and additions:

Total Cost: Some have asked me about what I paid for it, In NSW, the final price was $48,405.91. This included registration but not the stamp-duty. The stamp-duty rebate was done at the dealer for me. There is also a $3,000 EV rebate as well, that one you have to apply for online, and I have applied, but have not received it. After rebate, if/when I get it, it will be a total of $45,406 drive away.

Charging: I have a wall charger ready for install, but at the moment, I am living with a 10A granny charger. From 36% to 100%, the car estimated 24 hours on the 1.6kW granny. I plugged it in over night (8pm~8am) and it went from 36% to 75%. More than enough for an average day of town/city driving.

Pics or it didn't happen: Hold my beer fam… I got this…

Safety Features: I went and covered most of it in this reply

Servicing: This can be found on the BYD Aus website and I have talked about it somewhere around here

Price: $48,405.91 ($0 stamp duty and before $3,000 NSW EV rebate. For more info, I covered it here

Insurance: $884 full comp. through Budget Direct. More info on my "stats" for this price was mentioned here

Why an EV?: Because (fropanity) petrol companies! It had nothing to do with "saving the planet"

That rear badge: It's ok, you know I got your back on this…

Observations and Updates

First OTA updates have arrived: Info here

EV Incentive rebate was approved. Applied for it 16/9 and was approved 30/9. Payment arrived about 5 days after final approval.

Update on safety rating. Vehicle received Euro NCAP 5 star rating. ANCAP rating release in NZ (5 stars) still pending in Aus.

Automotive BYD Auto Car Electric Vehicle

Comments

  • TightAssDude on 18/09/2022 - 09:16

    Shame about the one pedal driving as I've experienced it on a Tesla and absolutely loved it.

    When you say that the regen is inconsistent, is it that it reacts differently when say going downhill as compared to uphill?

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 11:55

      You don't use regen generally if you are going uphill, unless you are: going over the speed limit, coming to a stop sign or going around a sharp curve.

      What I think I meant was… in the lowest setting, it's too low, in the highest setting, its not high enough. High needs to be renamed Mid and there needs to be another setting above where high is now. Of course there is always the brake which will give you more regen than High, but it would be nice to be able to adjust in the settings how much High regens and how much Low regens.

      • bamzero on 18/09/2022 - 14:37
        +1

        Need to wait for next firmware update :D

  • Boogerman on 18/09/2022 - 10:01

    Thanks chief.
    Got my reservation for delivery December.
    Nearly $30K cheaper on road than Tesla Model Y & this has better fit & finish.
    The interior is definitely funky looking - so much for Chinese being bland
    Already own a Tesla

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 11:59

      Yeah, I have friends who have Tesla Model 3's and for the extra $30k, I cant see where it went. It's a lot of extra coin for slightly longer range and that is about it.

      And I don't know about the interior on the BYD. It has is "WTF were they thinking" moments, but I think the same about any Tesla with completely white interiors. At least they toned down the Atto 3 interior colours compared to the LHD display model. Christ it was bad. But I do have to say, after owning it for almost a week and driving it, you start to care less and notice the layout less the more you drive it.

      • gavincato on 19/09/2022 - 07:04

        I'm glad you are happy with your car but with the "thats about it" comment - The tesla's might be more $$$ but it's obviously a far more mature polished experience at this stage with the head start they have.

        I don't know where you get the better fit & finish comment from, we have 2 x tesla's and I have a friend with a byd - though they all come from china the build on our tesla's is def nicer, and the driving is I would say significantly nicer. Like I said a more mature experience.

        30k is 30k though and that is pretty substantial. I'm glad decent ev's are coming down $$$ wise.

        • pegaxs on 19/09/2022 - 10:44

          I don't know where you get the better fit & finish comment from

          I didn't mention it, but I can see where it comes from. The BYD is $48k, the Model 3 is $70k… The BYD has fit and finish I would expect on a $50k car. The problem is, the Model 3 has fit and finish I would expect on a $30k car. It's good, it's just not $70,000 good.

          And I have been it a few Model 3's and now my own BYD, and I can say that the build quality is about on par. Tesla is not $30k nicer to sit in.

          I will say though, the base SR Tesla goes like stink off a chrome shovel. They 100% have that whole acceleration experience wrapped up over the Atto 3, and I will say that the Model 3 feels a lot more planted in corners than the Atto 3. The Model 3 feels sportier to drive, but on the highway, it's hard to pick whach one I prefer.

          • gavincato on 19/09/2022 - 10:47

            @pegaxs: unless my friends byd is a rough copy (it's the only one I've seen), but his creaks/rattles a bit while driving where as my m3p and my wifes Y are dead silent. The driving difference was quite marked as well. Like I said, just a bit more mature.

            I've actually never driven a standard M3, just a long range and performance. They are a bit silly acceleration wise. Good fun though!

  • drprox on 18/09/2022 - 11:21
    +2

    I've ordered one too. For the sake of having $1k down on what might be the cheapest usable EV I can get my hands on for the next 3-5 years why not.
    I'm hoping it arrives slowly as I don't want to take delivery without Android Auto as have no faith they'll actually get it until they do.

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 12:08

      Yeah, I think cars delivered later on in the year will have AA/ACP from delivery. And even if they dont, you can sideload most apps you would use anyway, including an AA emulator.

      • churchado on 18/09/2022 - 14:21

        Atto salesman today "guaranteed" me any cars ordered today will have AA and ACP on delivery. He couldn't say however whether it would be wired or wireless.

        • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 14:31

          Dont know… When I get the OTA update come through, I will update the post with this information. The car does have WiFi capability built in and a Qi wireless charger, so it would make sense it would be wireless AA/ACP, but who knows.

    • fez on 14/10/2022 - 21:33

      There will be cheaper EVs coming in the next year. e.g Atto2 aka dolphin
      https://www.carsales.com.au/editorial/details/byd-dolphin-20…
      ~30K + "straya tax"

      • pegaxs on 15/10/2022 - 09:56

        100% the Dolphin will be closer to $40k than $30k once it has landed, as there is little to no competition for this segment of the market, so they can basically make up and price and people will pay. Use the Corolla Hybrid as a reference and it's going to cost more than that.

  • mmd on 18/09/2022 - 12:38
    +1

    Thanks for the pics
    did you consider any other options other than the MG/ Tesla?

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 13:03
      +1

      I considered every available EV on the market, even up to and including Taycan and Audi E-Tron. It basically came down to Atto 3 because "spite" mostly and the MG just seemed… underdone.

      Had the Cupra Born been available sooner, it may have gotten a better run at my money.

      Tesla didn't get a look in for a few reasons… I didn't want to just be another Tesla owner. It's the iPhone of EV's. And basically I couldn't see where the extra $30,000 was being spent on the vehicle. Maybe some can, but I cant. It's why I would never buy a $90,000 BMW over an equivilent specced Hyundai for $30,000 less. It's a lot of coin for a badge.

  • htc on 18/09/2022 - 12:47

    Thanks for sharing your insight, is your cost the same as below?
    Vehicle Subtotal
    $47,381.35
    Local Stamp Duty
    Included
    Local Registration
    $556
    Local CTP
    $420.57
    Local Slimline Plate Fee
    $125
    On Road Fees Subtotal
    $1,101.57
    Payment Options

    Drive Away Price
    $48,482.92

    subtract $3000 rebate
    $45,482.92

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 12:57
      +2

      Breakdown of costs from my invoice; (For the record I did get slimline plates, even though the price says differently. YMMV.)

      Details Cost
      Vehicle price: $43073.95
      Colour: $0
      Rego: $556.00
      CTP: $420.57
      Plate Fee: $48
      Dealer Del: $0
      GST: $4307.39
      Total: $48405.91
      • htc on 18/09/2022 - 13:07

        Did you get the lower range or the extended range? Looks like the rebate covers the cost of the GST.

        • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 13:14
          +1

          Long Range. The SR is not due into Australia until very late this year.

          And the rebate (-$3,000) and the stamp duty rebate/exclusion (-$1,800~ish) basically covers the GST… I guess?

      • htc on 18/09/2022 - 13:58

        Is the slimline plate $48 or did you pay extra later?

        Do you charge your car daily?

        I took delivery of it from Sydney (Castle Hill BYD) and promptly drove it back to work up the F4 freeway and back to work (About 200km journey).

        Do you drive at least 100km per day?

        • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 14:23
          +2

          did you pay extra later?

          I paid what it says above and the car came with black on white slim lines. I did not pay any extra later. I did not request slim lines, it was just how the car was delivered. (I have since changed over to w@#ker plates at my own cost.)

          Do you charge your car daily?

          No. No need unless I know ahead of time that I am going to be doing a bigger trip than normal. Im letting it get down to about 50% and charging it up to 100% over night or over night and then back on again during solar generation time.

          Do you drive at least 100km per day?

          No. It varies. Sometimes I do 0km in a day (WFH), sometimes 16km (to work and back), sometimes 300km (to Sydney or Upper Hunter and back.)

          • Cliche Guevara on 19/09/2022 - 07:11
            +1

            @pegaxs: The plate fee now shows as "local slimline plate fee" and is $125 (NSW). My invoice showed the same as yours, but has now been updated. It originally had the stamp duty listed as well, but now shows $0. So looks like the invoice is a 'live' document until you pay and finally sign off on the contract.

  • htc on 18/09/2022 - 12:47

    Is there a cap on the number of rebate that can be applied through NSW government?

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 12:58
      +1

      Yes. 1 per individual.

      NSW residents who purchase a new BEV or FCEV for private/personal purposes, and register the vehicle in NSW, can access the rebate. One rebate will be available per individual.

      • htc on 18/09/2022 - 13:06

        Is there a cap on the number of rebate issued in NSW?
        The NSW Government is making EVs more affordable for the people of NSW by reducing the upfront cost for the first 25,000 eligible EVs sold.

        So if more than 25000 sold, will some people miss out on the rebate?

        • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 13:11
          +2

          Oh, yes, sorry, I thought you meant as an individual.

          Yes, there are only 25,000 rebates available "at this time". It may be increased in future or as demand requires.

          You can see where the rebates are up to by going to the NSW EV Strategy Dashboard that is found and updated from the NSW EV Strategy information page. (last update was from 31 March 2022.)

          And I dont think these 25,000 are going to dry up any time in the next few months.

  • churchado on 18/09/2022 - 14:19

    How much are you paying for comprehensive insurance? I saw something that seemed to suggest that the Atto insurance ends up about twice the cost other EVs.

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 14:28
      +3

      $884/year. Budget Direct, wholly owned, garaged, 40+ age restricted policy, $1,200 excess, Rating 1, outer urban area, market value. First 2 years replacement vehicle.

      For comparison, my 2018 Outlander (work vehicle) using the same sets as above but a much cheaper vehicle market price, it was $661 that I paid on June 9th.

      So, I would say it is about par for where the vehicle sits market value wise.

  • Bid Sniper on 18/09/2022 - 15:00
    +1

    /Vin Deisel, "You brave, dont know if you're worthy yet but you brave"

    $50K is a big punt

    That said BYD next to NIO certainly top EV manufacturers. Warren Buffet bet big on BYD.

    I saw Tesla model Ys this week, looks like a blobfish. Id personally would go Korean for EVs. That said your BYD looks like a Kia Ev6,much better then model Y.

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 16:13
      +1

      $50k ($45k actually after rebates and incentives) is a big chunk of cash, but I figured that if I didn't like it, that there is enough people on the wait list that I could just offload it fairly quickly if it turned out to be nothing what I was hoping it would be and virtually at least get my money back or make a small profit. The things I do for this community. :D

      And yes, that was a reason I decided to go with BYD and not something like MG. BYD have just recently surpassed Tesla in sales in China, and this means that they must be doing something right. On a side note, I dont GAF what Warren Buffet invests in, but I'm guessing he does, and it seems to be paying off.

      On my way home from Sydney, I passed an Ionic 5 in traffic, and holy shit, they are nice. It is a shame that they are as rare as hens teeth and harder to get than an iPhone on launch day.

      • Hackney on 18/09/2022 - 16:42

        @pegaxs,Perhaps ‘throw’ the Fiat in as a ‘sweetener’!(if you decide to move it on!)

        • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 17:20

          Not my Fiat! Not my beautiful Fiat! What else would I have to do on weekends if I didn't own a Fiat that always needs fixing?

          • Hackney on 19/09/2022 - 06:07

            @pegaxs: My daughter(who lives in Newcastle btw) bought a new one in 2015 from McCarrols.She has never had an issue with it.

      • Euphemistic on 18/09/2022 - 19:04
        +2

        Agree. I reckon ionic 5 is one of the best looking cars getting around.

      • Bid Sniper on 20/09/2022 - 10:28
        +1

        Put it that way, yeah low risk can offload if need be but given BYD is market leader should be good long term.

        I love the Ionic 5 and Ionic 6, the Hyundai N74 would make me part with cash

  • randomusername2017 on 18/09/2022 - 15:23

    Would this be a worthwhile upgrade from an 04 corolla?

    I mean I like that's it's keyless…but I've had a few battery issues recently so I'm a bit wary of EV. Could the nrma jump start it if I left the headlights on whilst on can patrol?

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 16:38
      +1

      Yikes, from a 04 Corolla? (Had to look to see if it was Pam asking this.)

      Good thing is that it is keyless, so you could stitch the remote fob into the lining of your handbag so you never lose it.

      And the good part about having an electric motor is that all you need to do to charge the battery is to get the NRMA guy to push it around a bit for you like a wind up toy car. You could also find a big hill to push it down like a billy cart and that should work too.

      And absolutely leave the lights on. That big 60kWh battery is gonna run those LED lights for about the next 18 months before it goes flat. Hell, flip it up to high beams and never pick up your cans in the dark again. It would be considered a very expensive flashlight though…

      • randomusername2017 on 18/09/2022 - 20:56
        -1

        Thanks .. appreciate the insight.

        Will pull the trigger when my new Prada bag from eBay arrives from China.

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 16:06
      +6

      Use your words, champ.

      On second thoughts, after looking over your comment history, I dont think you know that many words. :D

        • johnno07 on 21/09/2022 - 08:26
          +1

          More of a Tonka truck man, @ehardaway?

  • Herbse on 18/09/2022 - 16:11

    Can I ask what the ADAS is like in the car?
    One of the main drivers for me wanting a Tesla is the autopilot system is one of the most advanced available and they regularly update the capabilities of the adas along with other features of the cars.

    One thing that annoys me about standard manufacturers is that they release a car, then forget about it. With basic multimedia upgrades if you're Lucky. But if you want the new features you have to buy the new model. But Tesla offers constant updates to improve functionality, safety and even performance to all the cars.

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 17:18
      +9

      First up, I wish Tesla would stop calling their shit "Auto-Pilot" when it clearly isn't. It is misleading to say the least. It's not a bad system, but it's not an "auto-pilot". The amount of videos I watch with (profanity) asleep in their car just blows my mind. It's a $10k++ option that is only marginally better than what most other mainstream manufacturers are currently offering.

      Anyway, I don't know how to compare it to the BYD, as I have not had enough (read "any") experience actually driving a Tesla while Auto-Pilot is on. I can only give my opinion of how the BYD handles assisted driving.

      The main one seems to be the "Lane Keep Assist" (that BYD, as you would expect, calls something different, like LPP or some shit.). It can be set to none, beep, vibrate, beep + vibrate and "look here, just give me the wheel, you pillock."

      I have basically only done freeway driving for my short ownership, and I can say this… it is good. It is smoother than my wife Corolla at keeping in the lane, so much so I often get warned to keep my hands on the wheel even when I have, because it takes so little effort and drives that well, it doenst really require any input at all. For comparison, the wife's Corolla needs plenty of "ope, you alright there car?" corrections to keep me awake.

      Next is "Lane Departure Warning" (part of that beep/vibrate setting above). That works… There, I said it. That's about it. It's "ok". Not as good as my Outlander, but on par with the Corolla. I got it set to beep + vibrate, but I don't know where the vibrate part is supposed to be felt. Steering wheel? Seat? Who knows.

      Next are the cameras for that cool all around car viewing experience. And let me tell you, they are clear. Like Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings, 12k, 240fps RTX 3090 good. Well, after using the Corolla and the Outlander reverse cameras, that is how far ahead these BYD camera's feel. And they do the whole 3D thing and the make your car invisible thing. So cool. The reverse and forward cameras also overlay your vehicle width AND tyre tracks dynamically over the images, so you can tell exactly where your car is going to go and what it's going to touch.

      "Active Cruise Control" is probably the best I have used in any car, bar none. It has 4 distance settings, "Can taste your last toilet stop", " Can smell your last toilet stop", I can almost smell you from here" to "Is that a car in the distance??" I leave mine set on 3, as it is about 3 seconds to the car in front. It also is smooth when it picks up cars and needs to slow down. It slows gradually, so much so that you don't even realise it has slowed. Unlike the Outlander that shifts back 3 gears and applied 50% braking force and takes 20 mins to disengage when you do finally want to overtake a slower moving car.

      "Automomous Emergency Braking" and "Advanced Collision Warning" both work. Although I have not had a chance to test out the AEB, I have had the ACW bark at me a few times to let me know something wasn't right (I have a great test corner near my house where a car parks on the outside apex and it never fails to test ACW systems on any car I drive past it.)

      As for the updates, I don't know. I think it will be ok. I don't really know what more they could do to make it better via updates at this point. I don't think there is any redundant DLC type options in this car that I could buy that would need to be turned on or off. Maybe some lifetime tweaking of settings like the regen to a 3 step user selection would be good (say low, med, high setting, but configurable in the car setup menu so I could tweak each level to suit my tastes.), and AA/ACP is supposed to be coming soon. *shrugs*

      If I have missed any vehicle system you would like to know about, let me know and I'll chat about it, or if I don't know, I'll go out, look for it and test it and get back to you.

      • gavincato on 19/09/2022 - 07:09
        +1

        please remember also you don't have to spend the $$$ on the tesla autopilot software. There are 2 options, 5k and 10k and I think they are both silly. The basic autopilot that comes with every tesla is extremely good, and makes long ass drives a breeze.

        The price on the tesla software is bordering on absurd, we tried the $5k one (called enhanced autopilot) and though it works fine, it still needed so much confirmation of the driver being awake before changing lanes etc. we decided might as well do it ourselves and save 5k. As I said the base autopilot software is already extremely good. I've done 5000km in my model 3 in the last month and 80% of that would be autopilot.

        • bluey47 on 19/09/2022 - 11:33
          +1

          Yeah about 90% of all my driving is with the free autopilot doing most of the work, I find it safer as most of the time you normally spend lane keeping can be used for watching the traffic around you. The difference in fatigue for long drives is amazing.
          Agree the $5k and $10k upgrades are crazy for their current features.

      • randysal on 20/09/2022 - 07:28
        +2

        Auto pilot in Tesla is the free option. That includes active cruise and auto steer. Both work reasonably well and on par with other manufacturers.

        I don't know why anyone would pay $10,000 for "full-self-driving" option. It seems pretty stupid for the amount of money and doesn't seem to work. I would not pay anything for it.

  • kalithreaver on 18/09/2022 - 16:49
    +2

    Thanks for the info. We really and an electric car but can't justify the extreme premium that Tesla Kia and Hyundai are putting on the EVs.

    Friend suggested the atto 3 which I scoffed at that suggestion but your review makes it seem alright. It's also 30k cheaper which is what I feel like EVs should be right now.

    Something to ponder.

    • apiecost on 18/09/2022 - 17:03

      Does 60K for a really nice car that's (potentially / should be) powered by the sun really seem too much though?

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 17:34

      but can't justify the extreme premium that Tesla Kia and Hyundai are putting on the EVs.

      Correct. Me either. I thought Kia/Hyundai were going to be the leaders here. I think they just looked at Kia and though "(fropanity) it! YOLO!!" and made their cars about $5 cheaper than a Tesla. People pay Tesla Tesla prices for the same reason people pay Apple Apple prices. Image. People who buy Kia and Hyundai want cars that just work and act like cars. They need to stop making these 2.7sec 0~100km/h drag cars for $100,000 and start making EV's that the masses want. And $70,000 for a Kona EV… come on Hyundai, now you're just being silly…

      Friend suggested the atto 3 which I scoffed at

      Me too, don't worry. Plenty of evidence on this forum of me scoffing at BYD…

      but your review makes it seem alright

      "at the moment". Let's see if I am still this cheerful if something happens. This thread is just my initial impressions and so far it has "exceeded my expectations™". Was expecting Chery, got Kia.

      It's also 30k cheaper… what I feel like EVs should be right now.

      100%. It makes you wonder with other manufacturers, how can BYD churn this vehicle out at this price point with this quality, but no one else can? I think the next batch of cheap EV's is also going to impress, like the GW Ora added into the mix and people are going to be surprised at them.

      • gavincato on 19/09/2022 - 07:24
        +1

        I guess we fit right into your spite demographic as we sit here using iphones and 2 x tesla's (a m3p and a Y) but the reason we got them is because we had a utterly faultless experience on our last tesla (a american made m3 long range) - 3 years, 100,000km's.

        As I mentioned in another post they are a pretty mature polished experience at this point. I'n not advocating anyone buy them - do whatever you want. We are very happy with them. I think you underestimate how good they are.

        • pegaxs on 19/09/2022 - 10:34
          +1

          Just to put the record straight, I have never said that Tesla cars are bad, just that they are not $80,000+ good. I have friends that own them and I have seen enough of them up close to think, there is no way I would pay $80,000+ for this…

          And my issue is with the (profanity) running the company and the outer fringe of fanbois these things tend to attract. As for the cars, they are fine, and I have to admit that without Tesla doing what it has done in the EV sphere, there is no way we would be at the adoption rates that we are seeing climb at this time.

          So, thanks Tesla… but also (fropanity) you, Elon.

          • gavincato on 19/09/2022 - 10:44

            @pegaxs: shrug. Yeah my car cost near 100k but it does 500km range, drives beautifully, mature software & ecosystem, network of superchargers, acceleration at literally supercar speeds. Doesn't sound that bad :)

            I agree my wifes Y is overpriced but she loves it, and they are selling faster than they can build them.

          • od810 on 19/09/2022 - 21:06
            +2

            @pegaxs: I am on the complete same boat with you lol. I would never buy a Tesla because Elon is a twat. I actually liked him up until he started tweeting too much and called the divers who rescued the Thai boys from the cave a pedo.

  • schwinn on 18/09/2022 - 17:19

    What does your plate say?

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 17:24
      +2

      Something w@#ky, but nothing like LOL-01L, GAS-10L or anything oil or EV snobbery related.

      It just says the cars model name. It wouldn't be an OzBargain experimental car without some kind of w@#ker plate :D I'll leave it up to the masses to work it out.

    • dontboopthesnoot on 20/09/2022 - 11:05
      +4

      BYDET

      • pegaxs on 20/09/2022 - 12:27
        +1

        Ahhh… no, but I do like this one :D

  • kaleidoscope on 18/09/2022 - 18:06
    -5

    Doesn't this cost like $1400 for service each year? so thats roughly +$7000 to the drive away price

    • Herbse on 18/09/2022 - 18:23
      +2

      $1400 over 5 years.

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 18:50
      +3

      $1,400??? (fropanity) no!

      I made a reply with some links to the information about it in this reply

      Basically, it's $189/year for the first 5 years or 60,000km, or $945 (excluding inflation costs over that time.)

      • kaleidoscope on 18/09/2022 - 21:23

        Yeah, Tom’s words on the video were confusing. “every year for a cost of $1400 over the first 5 years…”

      • mmd on 18/09/2022 - 23:20

        What's involved in the servicing costs?

        And does it have a price post 5 years?

        • pegaxs on 19/09/2022 - 10:14

          I have seen a copy of the service schedule, and 90% of it is "check/inspect" with brake fluid and coolant replaced every other service. If I find the service items again, I'll post a link to it.

          And yes, there is a service schedule beyond 5 years, you can find it here, but it's basically A and B services in alternate years, so I would imagine it would just go on forever in that order.

  • bamzero on 18/09/2022 - 18:28

    Which wall charger did you get and what sort of $ do they set you back?

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 18:56
      +1

      I ended up going with the ANZU 22kW 3Phase unit. Basically because it had the features I wanted and they had a price drop recently. One of the few 3phase, 22kW units available for under $1,000. I wrote some more about it in this reply.

      As for fitting it, dont know. I am expecting my leccy to ram rod me over a barrel, dry, as they do. Gotta pay for that new 300 Series LandCruiser his wife drives around in somehow I guess.

  • Odin on 18/09/2022 - 18:43
    -6

    Sounds OK, but at end of the day still China car.

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 18:53
      +4

      And that's why I bought it, so you don't have too. I'm taking one for the team on this one.

      Only time will tell. It's either going to be the best bang for bux I've spent on a car, or the worst toilet flushing of cash I can think of. Either way, it's going to be a ride… of some description.

      • Euphemistic on 18/09/2022 - 19:16

        Starting out with a quiet, energy efficient and cost effective ride.

      • SnoozeAndLose on 18/09/2022 - 19:40
        +1

        There are still years to come, it is like the old Kia and Hyundai car

      • Windows7forever on 19/09/2022 - 00:23
        +1

        Initial impressions are good. Time will tell about longevity of the vehicle. You've certainly piqued my interest in EVs!

        • pegaxs on 19/09/2022 - 10:28
          +1

          Well, that's why I decided to throw myself in the deep end. I am hoping that by buying one of these and finding out just how good or bad it is, it can help others navigate the minefield of bullshit that car review sites get paid to say.

          Hopefully a few on the fence my decide the time is near and hope down, and some on the other side of the fence to pop up onto the fence and at least consider an EV may be an alternative.

          Or, if it goes south and turns to shit, it may send people back over that fence! :D

    • Drakesy on 19/09/2022 - 13:52
      +4

      Tesla is also a chinese built car lets not forget.
      Iphones are chinese built phones
      BYD is the third biggest car company on market capitalisation in the world
      They've been around for 20 odd years.

  • HangryCakeStore on 18/09/2022 - 19:41
    -1

    Bogus people here are just secretly scared china could mass market electric cars and win.

    • gyrex on 18/09/2022 - 20:10
      -1

      Win what? Awards for shoddy build quality and cars which completely rust out? There's a marked difference between European/US built cars and those designed and made in China.

      • HangryCakeStore on 18/09/2022 - 21:21

        Win the market for cheap electric cars, so what do you think of ops review, biased?

      • [Deactivated] on 21/09/2022 - 00:29
        +1

        Volvo's are made in China, BMW's are made in China.

        China earns a bad reputation because of their attitude towards taking pride in cheating people. There is no technical reason they cannot make good cars, their cities have better infrastructure than most of Europe now. All it is going to take is one brand to concentrate on reliability.

  • stumo on 18/09/2022 - 20:19
    +1

    and promptly drove it back to work up the F4 freeway and back to work

    You had to take 2 jobs to pay for it?

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 21:14

      Hahaha, that was worded badly.

      I took the morning off and trained it down to Sydney, then drove the new car straight up to a job I had to attend at 3pm further up the Valley.

  • htc on 18/09/2022 - 21:16

    Since this post is getting lots of attention, I want to get some people's opinion about buying a toyota hybrid such as camry or rav 4.

    Is it true the cost to replace a EV battery and the extra cost to buy an EV will cost more than replacing a hybrid battery and the fuel used in toyota hybrid?

    • Cliche Guevara on 18/09/2022 - 22:15
      +2

      By the time you need a battery replaced they'll be much cheaper. In a hybrid you still have all the ICE servicing requirements. ICE's also don't last forever…

    • edvoon on 19/09/2022 - 12:15
      +2

      In the very worse case for EVs, you have old 2012 Nissan LEAFs that have degraded down to around 60% (some have gone even worse but Nissan would have replaced those under their 8-year warranty - which have all expired now). This is basically first generation EV batteries with no active cooling. There is a Melbourne company now quoting replacement LEAF batteries more than doubling the original 24kWh to 53kWh for $16.9k - https://www.biggerenergizer.com.au/leaf-62k.

      With the other early EVs - the 2012 Mitsubishi i-Miev, which did have some active air cooling, they are probably around 75-80%.

      Slight later EVs like the 2016 Renault Zoe (air cooling) and BMW i3, and Tesla Model 3, which all have active liquid cooling, you would be looking at well over 90% capacity in the 6 years since they were sold.

      Even more modern EVs have much larger batteries (which reduces the number of charging cycles) and/or LFP chemistry (Chinese EVs and Tesla RWD Model3) will mean that the batteries will most likely outlast the vehicle itself.

      Hybrid batteries are typically small, which translate to more charging cycles and thus premature degradation.

    • Drakesy on 19/09/2022 - 13:55
      +2

      As with anything in 8-10 years when you need to replace the battery the market would have grown astronomically and thus battery prices/replacement costs would've fallen dramatically, and as stated previously the BYD blade battery is far less prone to degradation due to greater cooling ability.

    • pegaxs on 18/09/2022 - 22:27
      +13

      No… You got it all wrong, these new electric cars are amazing… you can unplug them from the power point and they keep running. It’s, like, gonna be a game changer. I was afraid to go further than the extension lead, but I unplugged it and it just kept running. Mind… “blown”…

      Or, you know, I could spend the same amount and buy a car that keeps me tethered to a fuel bowser instead…

      • gyrex on 18/09/2022 - 22:45
        +6

        I bought a 200km extension lead for my EV. The major issue I've encountered is untangling the knots when I get home.

        • pegaxs on 19/09/2022 - 10:09
          +6

          I cant take spare batteries? You are joking right? I can literally pull up anywhere that has a power point and plug it in. And even if it doesn't have a power point, I can literally take a generator with me.

          With an IQ like that…

          Ok, champ… :D

        • ihfree on 21/09/2022 - 01:25
          +1

          Most people I know have never used petrol from a jerry can. Others who have used fuel from a jerry can probably have the ability to work out whether an electric car is right for them.

      • trongy on 19/09/2022 - 08:55
        +4

        It's worse than that, the Atto has no real off road capability so it will be tethered to the half million or so kilometers of roads we have in Australia. No ability to ford a river, you will be forced to driver across them using bridges. Don't get me started about the drive to Tasmania…

        • pegaxs on 19/09/2022 - 10:05
          +1

          I heard it was the big asphalt lobby that is trying to force all new vehicle to be 2wd so they have to use their bitumen… It's a scam I tell you!

      • b-t on 20/09/2022 - 12:05
        +1

        OMG HAHAHA

        His comment reminds me of this other comment I saw of someone in US asking "what's the point of buying a Tesla when you can't drive it in the rain" :)

        • pegaxs on 20/09/2022 - 12:35
          +2

          Or what I got from a few friends "what do you do when it runs out of battery half way from here to *unrealistic destination 1200km away*??"

          I say to them "I just pull it backwards until it starts clicking and let it go…"

          • b-t on 20/09/2022 - 13:07
            +4

            @pegaxs: LOL

            I did a long distance drive with my in-laws to Sydney (from Melbourne) in my M3 and they were so anxious about the battery.

            I told them — it's okay, we have 4 people in the car, we can take turns to push the car when we run out of juice

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