Driver reveals impossible to ignore detail about ‘cheap’ Chinese EV: ‘$50 a week’

It’s official: BYD has the cheapest electric cars on the Australian market. Its newest SUV, the ATTO 2, is priced at an impressive $31,990 plus on-road costs.

WhenYahoo Lifestyle was offered the opportunity to give it a try, I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel.

But in the interest of full disclosure, I’ll admit right now that literally anything would be better than my manual Hyundai i30 from 2012.

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This is important context because I usually hate driving around Sydney’s hilly streets. The thought of having to do a hill start literally keeps me up at night.

So getting into an EV for the first time, I was certainly intrigued.

And while I knew it was a likely upgrade, I didn’t anticipate just how smooth and luxurious driving the ‘cheap’ Chinese car would actually feel and how much freedom a good car can actually offer.

It’s something BYD Australia chief operating officer Stephen Collins has promised. The ATTO 2 and the smaller ATTO 1 are the «next step» in BYD’s vision for accessible, premium electric mobility for Australian drivers.

It certainly felt that way.

And further to that, there was one affordability detail that stuck out to me.

The initial costs of the brand-new car are impressive, but it’s just how cheap it is to actually run that has me seriously considering it as an upgrade option for when the time comes to retire the i30.

What’s it on the inside?

I’ve been in EV’s before that feel like you’re entering a spaceship. How do you open the door is the most common confusion with those who feel the need to unnecessarily reinvent the wheel.

But the ATTO 2 is classically designed with black leather seats, grey trimming and a large tablet-style screen. Below the screen near the glove box is a handy spot to place your phone, where it will be automatically charged wirelessly.

The screen was a little bit overwhelming at first. Not only does it have Apple CarPlay for navigating and playing music, it is also the only place to control a range of car functions, including the air conditioning.

The car feels spacious inside, and the drive was incredibly smooth.

What’s it like to drive?

As previously declared, I don’t have a huge love for driving.

But when clutch control was suddenly no longer a consideration, I was surprised by how uncharacteristically willing I was to get behind the wheel.

The car is incredibly smooth to drive. The steering is nice and light, which is perfect for getting around the city.

It also doesn’t roll backwards when you’re stopped on a hill, which was a weight off my mind, and the first time I’ve driven along Coogee’s Ardern Street without breaking into a cold sweat.

There are a few safety systems that take some getting used to. There’s a speed sign recognition system that chimes if you go over the speed limit and doesn’t quite recognise when school zones aren’t in force.

What about the battery and charging?

Charging the car was something that I was most nervous about. As a renter in an apartment block, it wouldn’t be possible to charge it at home, so it was something I’d have to factor in.

The ATTO.2 hasa 51.3kWh LFP battery. That means the battery is smaller and has less range.

While my i30 tends to last over 500km before needing to be refuelled, the ATTO 2 didn’t quite last 400km. However, if you’re just getting about from A to B in the city and not driving long distances that is more than fine.

In the end, I found a charging point near a beach I like to visit and plugged it into the Evie port at Malabar Beach. It took about an hour to charge from 20 per cent to 100 per cent and cost about $30. Compared to the i30, that is a saving of over $50 each charge.

A saving of up to $50 a week, depending on how much you drive, it makes taking the plunge into electric car driving incredibly compelling.

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What do the experts say?

According to Professor Hussein Dia, from Swinburne University, the conversation in most Australian households is not which type of EV to buy, but whether your next car is a petrol or an electric.

«The Atto 1 and Atto 2 are aimed at first-time EV buyers and city drivers,» he told Yahoo Lifestyle.

«They’re not designed to compete with Teslas on performance or software. They’re designed to be affordable, simple, and good enough for daily use.

«That strategy makes sense in Australia, where price remains the biggest barrier to EV uptake. Lower-cost models are what move the needle.»

While I’m not quite ready to give up the 2012 i30, the ATTO 2 has offered me incredible insight into the world of EV’s, and it’s certainly going to be a consideration with my next car purchase.

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