CHINESE brand BYD and its range of electric cars is coming to the UK.
Dealer group and leasing company Pendragon will become the “lead UK launch partner”.
Pendragon, which operates dealerships under the Evans Halshaw and Stratstone brands, revealed the status in its latest results statement to the London Stock Exchange.
While details are scarce at this stage, the dealer group describes the negotiations to sell BYD’s range of electric cars through its showrooms as at an “advanced” stage.
The timing of the launch was also not revealed, but in a recent statement about the manufacturer’s plans for launch across Europe, a spokesman for the firm said:
BYD is set to enter major European markets with a range of new energy passenger vehicles this autumn 2022.
However, for such an announcement to be put into official financial results of a UK stock market listed company, experts believe the arrival of BYD must be imminent and likely to be shortly after the main European launch.
BYD joins GWM Ora and MG as the third major Chinese brand to sell cars the UK market.
The BYD model range
Atto 3
A small family crossover set to rival the likes of the Volkswagen ID3 and the MG4. This car is understood to be produced in right-hand drive so is likely to be the spearhead of BYD’s push in the UK.
Power comes from a single 200hp motor driving the front wheels resulting in a 0-60mph time of 7.3 seconds.
Two battery capacities are available in other markets, 48kWh or 60kWh, the latter with a claimed range of more than 260 miles. The five-seat Atto 3 is 4,455mm long and has a boot volume of 440 litres.
Han
Currently, left-hand drive only. An executive saloon similar in size to the Mercedes EQE.
Power is from a dual-motor set up driving all four wheels with a significant 510hp in total. 0-60mph is capable in 3.9 seconds. WLTP range is quoted at 326 miles from the 85.4kWh battery.
The swoopy, almost coupe-like, styling means the boot capacity, at 410 litres, is less than established rivals in this class.
Tang
Also only available in left-hand drive, the Tang is a large seven-seat SUV and uses near identical underpinnings to the Han.
The battery is fractionally larger at 86.4kWh, but the car is less efficient so has a range of 250 miles and the 0-60mph time is ‘slower’ at 4.6 seconds. The large SUV features a 940 litre boot in five-seat mode shrinking to 235 litres in seven-seat format.
Who is BYD?
BYD is a diversified clean energy and transportation group. US investor Warren Buffet has shares in the company.
The brand is already selling in the European market. It thas deals with dealer groups in countries such as the Netherlands (Louwman) and Norway (RSA).
It plans to attend the Mondial Paris Motor Show, 17-23 October 2022 with its range of cars.
A feature of its electric cars are its ‘blade’ battery configuration.
BYD is already operational in the UK with its electric buses and electric coaches.
For example, in London 29 Enviro400EV electric double deckers built with Alexander Dennis (ADL) are operated by Abellio (above).
A fleet of nine BYD ADL Enviro200EV single deckers is in operation in Perth, operated by Stagecoach (above).
BYD operates in the UK from its Iver, Buckinghamshire base, focusing on its electric bus and coach operations.
Additional reporting: Ralph Morton
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Tristan Young is an award winning journalist with more than 25 years’ experience reporting on the automotive industry focussing predominantly on fleet and retail. As a self-confessed petrol-head, Tristan has a weakness for car classifieds. When he’s not writing about the automotive industry, he can usually be found outdoors with a small pack of border collies.
