The newest China-made BYD Atto 3, Yuan Plus’ renamed version, will cut its warranty shorter than it initially announced, offering more expensive servicing costs than its EV rivals.
With local customer deliveries starting soon, the 2022 BYD Atto 3 electric SUV will have a shorter warranty than it promised earlier this year, and its servicing fees are way more than anticipated, according to Drive.
Midway through February, as order books for the Atto 3 opened, BYD announced a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, matching MG ZS EV. However, a notice to consumers and an updated version of the company’s website published this week have reduced it to six years and 150,000 kilometers, with several exceptions that lessen the coverage on particular parts.
The suspension and infotainment screen comes with a three- to four-year warranty. However, the battery warranty has increased to eight years/160,000 km from seven years/160,000 km in February.
The Atto 3 will cost $3092 to service over eight years or 160,000 km, compared to its closest rival, the MG ZS EV, which costs $1611 over the same timeframe or $2415 over a 140,000 km distance.
In response to criticism of the warranty modifications, importer EVDirect told Drive that the reduction in warranty was brought on by a standardized BYD policy for the Asia-Pacific region and consumer demand for more battery coverage.
“When we launched in February, BYD hadn’t set their global warranty policy, or especially for this region, so we had to go it alone. We went with what we had agreed at the time, and that was a ‘seven plus seven’ [years of vehicle and battery warranty],” EVDirect managing director Luke Todd told Drive.
“Between February when we launched, and the last few months when we’ve been preparing [for first deliveries], the two things that have changed are that BYD have come out with a regional warranty package, which is the same in every country, right throughout this whole [Asia-Pacific] region. So that was slightly different. That was an ‘eight plus six’ [year] variant.
“And we also had a lot of feedback from our customers, where they were saying the main thing they wanted warranty on was the battery, because the battery is the heart and soul of an EV [electric vehicle].
“So when we had a regional positioning from BYD head office of an ‘eight plus six’ [warranty], and we had a lot of customer feedback saying they actually wanted more warranty on the battery, it just was a natural decision for us to to make the change, to give an extra year on the on the battery, and then standardise the six years in line with the rest of the region.
“Some people have asked why we don’t pass that [lifelong battery warranty] on in Australia and in other parts of the world. And the reason for that is that China is a very different domestic market, and the structure of that warranty is very simple to enact in the Chinese market.
“[But] for us, having a lifelong warranty with different structures of ownership, lease plans and finance and so on… [Australia is] a very different market, so we always have to have a cap on the warranty at some point. And we’ve got a very healthy warranty there – eight years for the battery. We think it’s outstanding.”
The six-year/150,000km warranty from BYD surpasses the four-year/80,000km warranty from Tesla and the five-year/unlimited-kilometer warranty from Hyundai (on time, but not on distance), but it is less than the seven-year/unlimited-kilometer warranty from MG. The infotainment system, shock absorbers, and tyre pressure monitoring system, among other sections of the car, are not covered by the six-year warranty; instead, BYD offers three to four years of coverage, depending on the part.
| 2022 BYD Atto 3 warranty details | |
| Warranty content | Warranty period (whichever comes first） |
| Battery | Eight years/160,000 kilometres (with ≥70 per cent original capacity left) |
| Drive unit (Motor, Motor controller, Motor controller with DC assembly, High voltage electric control assembly) | Eight years/150,000km |
| Whole vehicle lights, tyre pressure monitoring module, suspension, ball joints | Four years/100,000km |
| Multimedia system, shock absorbers, belt, dust cover, bushing or gasket, release bearing, wheel bearing, PM2.5 measuring instrument, AC/DC charging port assembly, USB charging port connector | Three years/60,000km |
| Lead-acid storage battery (12-volt) | One year/20,000km |
| Air conditioner filters (Filter net, High efficient strainer, Electrostatic filter), button battery, brake pads, clutch disc, tyre, wiper blade assembly, bulbs, fuse, ordinary relay (excluding integrated control unit) | Six months/10,000km |
| All parts of the complete vehicle except those listed above (excludes various kinds of oil, charging equipment, gifts, refrigerants) | Six years/150,000km |
Service costs have also been specified for the first eight years of ownership, occurring at 12-month/20,000-kilometer intervals through Eagers Automotive dealerships and Mycar locations.
On the other hand, services in the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth years cost between $504.25 and $661.32, which is more than three times the cost of services in the first, third, fifth, and seventh years ($190.37 for each service). Additionally, BYD servicing charges are three times more expensive than those of major competitors in the electric vehicle market. The BYD Atto 3 will cost $1546.31 to service for the first four years (or 80,000 miles).
| 2022 BYD Atto 3 service prices | |
| Months/Km | Cost |
| 12 months (one year)/20,000km | $190.37 |
| 24 months (two years)/40,000km | $504.25 |
| 36 months (three years)/60,000km | $190.37 |
| 48 months (four years)/80,000km | $661.32 |
| 60 months (five years)/100,000km | $190.37 |
| 72 months (six years)/120,000km | $504.25 |
| 84 months (seven years)/140,000km | $190.37 |
| 96 months (eight years)/160,000km | $661.32 |
In contrast, the first four years of service on an MG ZS EV cost $536. The MG ZS EV offers 24-month/20,000km service intervals compared to the BYD’s 12-month/20,000km. The BYD Atto 3 will cost $3092 to service over eight years or 160,000 miles, while the MG ZS EV will cost $1611 to service during the same timeframe (up to 140,000km of driving).
Additional information recently confirmed by BYD and EVDirect includes a variety of accessories that will be offered later this year. The pricing and selection information will be announced, as well as an upcoming tow pack that will be available in October, enabling Atto 3s to pull 750 kg while braked or 700 kg while unbraked.
