The All-Electric BYD ATTO 3 SUV: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The All-Electric BYD ATTO 3 SUV

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BYD, an acronym for “Build Your Dreams’, is a publicly listed Chinese multinational company that manufacturers passenger cars, buses, trucks, forklifts, electric bikes and automotive components, to include, EV batteries.

In relation to electric vehicles (EVs), BYD is the fourth largest EV manufacturer in the world, to include, BEVs (battery-electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles). It is also the third largest manufacturer of EV batteries in the world. In fact, the company has more than 28 years experience in battery research & development. The multinational conglomerate is headquartered in Xi’an (Shaanxi Province, China). BYD currently has the following EVs in its portfolio:

• BYD Atto 3
• BYD Dolphin
• BYD Seal
• BYD Han
• BYD Tang
• BYD e6

Though, the all-electric BYD ATTO 3, has much to offer, it is competing in an already fiercely competitive mid-sized (C-Segment SUV) pure electric SUV segment. Unlike some of its competitors, the BYD automotive brand is little known by passenger car consumers in India.

The exterior styling of the BYD ATTO 3 is attractive, though not unique. However, it is the interior styling that is unique, and like Marmite, you are either going to love it or hate it! The company describes it as a ‘playful interior’. The EV has been designed by Wolfang Egger, with the European customer in mind. The interior quality is decent and the EV has much technology on offer. Some standard, some as options. The EV is available in three grades: Active, Comfort and Design.

The ATTO 3 is developed on the BYD e-Platform 3.0, an EV dedicated platform. It is the first SUV to use this ‘ultra-intelligent’, next-generation EV platform. The company claims that the platform enables an electric range exceeding 1,000 km via the world’s first 8-in-1 electric powertrain.

The platform also uses blade batteries, which it claims is ‘one of the world’s safest batteries’. According to the company, the Blade Battery has surpassed the Nail Penetration Test. The Ocean-X concept car also uses the same EV dedicated platform.

The ATTO 3 electric SUV has a 60.48 kWh onboard Blade EV battery, with a claimed WLTP zero-emission electric range up to 420 km. The cobalt-free EV battery uses Lithium Iron-Phosphate (LFP). Most EVs currently available in the market use the more conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Given the size of the electric vehicle (EV), the EV battery size and electric range are appropriate. As is the case in most pure electric cars, the Blade EV battery (420 kg) in the ATTO 3 is placed on the floor of the EV, further increasing the internal cabin space. The company claims its EV battery is an industry first, incorporating a ‘direct cooling and heating system, increasing thermal efficiency by up to 20% in the winter’.

Given, BYD’s vertical integration, to include, the manufacturer of EV batteries, we would encourage the automotive manufacturer to offer electric cars with multiple EV battery size options. This further increases the appeal of the EV.

The real-world electric range will be lower, impacted by a number of factors. Expect a zero-emission e-range closer to 360 km on a full charge. This is ample for both, city trips and motorway driving. The electric SUV incorporates a high-efficiency heat pump. For those new to electric driving, a heat pump is a ‘efficiency enhancing’ innovation i.e. helps with better electric range performance.

It is disappointing to note that pure electric ATTO 3 offers DC charging capability up to only 150 kW DC. Useful, but not class-leading. Competitors are offering faster DC charging capability. A good example is the all-electric Genesis GV60 SUV (another Chinese manufacturer). The GV60 offers DC charging up to a whopping 350 kW DC.

Having said that, the majority of the time (over 80%), electric cars are charged at home. So public DC charging, though important, is not as vital as home AC charging. According to BYD, the ATTO 3 can be charged 10% – 80% at 150 kW DC in 44 minutes.

The EV incorporates a 7 kW (single-phase) AC onboard charger as standard, with the 11 kW AC onboard charger available on the more expensive variants. However, given that most homes in India are powered by single-phase power supply, a 7 kW AC onboard charger is just fine.

The e-SUV can be charged 0%-100% in 9 hours and 42 minutes. At 11 kW (3-phase) EV charging, the EV can be fully charged in 6 hours and 30 minutes. We recommend a ‘topping up’ approach to charging an electric car. This way, charging times are shorter! We also recommend combining an on-site PV system and battery storage, to truly leverage the benefits of zero-tailpipe emission electric driving.

The BEV has a 0.29 Cd Drag Coefficient. To put this into context, the sleek all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 6 has 0.21 Cd Drag Coefficient. Of course, the lower the aerodynamic coefficient, the higher the efficiency of the vehicle. In terms of performance, the front-wheel drive (FWD) ATTO 3 can deliver 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds (maximum power: 204 PS (150 kW)/ Torque: 310 Nm). The top speed of the EV is 160 km/h.

In terms of safety, the EV has been awarded a Five-Star Euro NCAP rating. The electric SUV has a host of standard safety features, to include: forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, rear cross traffic brake, lane keep assistance, lane change assist and emergency lane keep. The company also offers more driver aids and technology.

The EV incorporates vehicle-to-load (V2L). Using the onboard bidirectional charger, V2L can be used to charge certain electric appliances, like a laptop, smartphone etc. It can also be used to charge another EV. Other features on offer, include: a 12.8 – 15.6 inch rotatable touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, over-the-air updates, smartphone wireless charging, voice control and more.

In terms of practicality, the EV offers ample headroom and legroom for passengers. However, for taller adults seated in the rear, the headroom can be limited. The EV has a 440 L boot.

Company-car drivers can take advantage of the zero-tailpipe emissions and the lower cost of driving an electric car. Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet!

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PROS	CONS
Decent all-electric range	Only available as front-wheel drive (FWD)
Incorporates heat-pump, V2L and good level of standard equipment	Headroom limited for taller individuals seated in the rear
Developed on a dedicated EV platform and incorporates Blade Battery technology	Limited brand awareness

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The All-Electric BYD Atto 3 SUV (credit: BYD)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Vehicle Type:	SUV
Engine:	Electric
Available In India:	Yes

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Trims (3 Options)
BYD ATTO 3 Active (from Rs 33.99 Lakhs)
BYD ATTO 3 Comfort (from Rs N/A)
BYD ATTO 3 Design (from Rs N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium Iron-Phosphate (LFP)
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 60.48 kWh
Charging:	150 kW DC rapid charging (10%-80%: 44 mins). Onboard charger 7 kW AC (0%-100% : 9 hrs 42 mins)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	0g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	8 years or 160,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1615
Width (mm):	1875
Length (mm):	4455
Wheelbase (mm):	2720
Turning Circle (m):	10.7
Boot Space (L):	440

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BYD ATTO 3
EV Battery Capacity:	60.48 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	420 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	16.0
Charging:	150 kW DC rapid charging (10%-80%: 44 mins). Onboard charger 7 kW AC (0%-100% : 9 hrs 42 mins)
Top Speed:	160 km/h
0-100 km/h:	7.3 seconds
Drive:	Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Max Power (PS):	204 (150 kW)
Torque (Nm):	310
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	4
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,750
Colours:	5
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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Electric Driving: Top 5 EV Jargons For India

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Many of us living in India, have now come across an electric car, like the Tata Nexon EV. Some have been fortunate enough to even drive in one, or even better, own an e-vehicle. Even though, India, is still at a nascent stage in terms of electric driving, the latest-generation of electric cars, like the all-electric Kia EV6, are already on roads in India. Of course, also on our roads are other Tata and Mahindra electric cars.

Despite the increased visibility of EVs in India, the vocabulary (jargon) used in electric driving is still new to consumers. In fact, for many, it can seem daunting and confusing. We have therefore put below some of the more commonly used terms in the EV glossary, to give you an easier introduction to electric driving in India!

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EV Glossary: Top 5
DoD (Depth-Of-Charge):	What is Depth-Of-Charge? A battery’s Depth-of-Charge is the level of discharge of a battery. As you drive an EV, the battery is discharged. The DoD indicates the % that has been discharged relative to the capacity of a battery. Conversely, a State-of-Charge (SOC), is the percentage of capacity still available in a battery. If you use 25% of your EV battery capacity, then the DoD is 25% and the SOC is 75%. It is recommended not to fully discharge an electric car battery, as this reduces the lifespan of a battery. Automotive manufacturers publish recommend DoD levels for charging, but a charging range between 20% to 80% is ideal.
EV Battery Life:	What is the life of an EV battery? Like petrol and diesel engines, electric car batteries also have a finite lifespan. Though EV battery technology has come a long way over the past few years, battery degradation is inevitable. Just as normal wear and tear is the case for an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Currently most EV manufacturers are offering a warranty up to 8 years or 100,000 miles. However, some automotive manufacturers are offering an even longer EV battery warranty. An example is the Japanese automotive manufacturer, Toyota. The company offers a 10 years EV battery warranty for the all-electric Toyota bZ4X SUV. In most cases, such warranties are up to 70% of the original EV battery capacity. The battery life is impacted by a number of factors, which in turn impacts battery electrical performance, to include, the range the electric car can travel. The most commonly used batteries in electric cars are lithium-ion batteries.
Frunk:	What is a frunk? Though a frunk is not a new term, its availability is becoming more widespread with the development of electric vehicles (EVs). A frunk is a storage space/ compartment/ trunk in the front of a vehicle, rather than the rear. In the case of pure electric cars, given that these vehicles do not have an onboard internal combustion engine (ICE), there is space for a frunk. It is worth noting that a frunk is usually much smaller than a trunk, and in EVs, a good space for storing the EV cable.
One-Pedal Driving:	What is one-pedal driving? In one-pedal driving, the EV slows down or stops, when the pedal is released. One-pedal functionality reduce the need to use the brake pedal, for speed reduction or stopping. Of course, the brake pedal is still the best way to hold a vehicle in place at a complete stop.
WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure):	In a bid to continue to improve the quality of realistic data released by automotive manufacturers, on economy, range and CO2 emissions, Europe has implemented its first phase for the WLTP program. The testing procedures under WLTP will result in reduced ranges for electric cars released under other previous testing regimes. The WLTP is seen as a significant improvement over the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) designed in the 1980s and based on theoretical driving. The WLTP has been developed with the aim of becoming a global standard, so that cars can be easily compared between regions.

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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