2024 BYD Atto 3 Extended Range Premium

Full Charge Ahead

BYD is charging forward in the Philippines. We mean that literally and figuratively.

The automaker is clearly flexing itself as the leader in the EV and HEV automotive market in the world and the Philippines. We can see it in a string of new model introductions that have us scratching our heads and asking how they got the price so low.

The best example is the Sealion 6; an impressive plug-in hybrid that can achieve 1,000 kilometers of range with minimal effort with a build that can honestly pass for premium, all at a low price of PHP 1.5M. There’s also the upcoming BYD Seagull; we drove this micro EV that has some styling cues inspired by Lamborghini (clearly) and it’s fun and interesting for its price tag of about PHP 800k.

Where it all began, however, was with the Atto 3; a compact SUV that runs on pure electricity, and is becoming quite a regular sight on my daily drive to work and around the city. The price certainly makes a difference: the standard model is about PHP 1.6M, while this extended range model is PHP 1.8M. To put that price in perspective, this is a full EV and it’s priced the same as the Corolla Cross. That in itself says a lot. Of course, the Toyota brand is strong, but BYD is catching up… fast.

If you see one on the road, the Atto 3 is unmistakable even though it does follow a lot of the crossover conventions. Yes, the headlights are sharp and the bumper has that rather angry smile about it, but the Atto 3 does stand out. The grille, while not wide open which is typical of an EV, has that solid bar with BYD embossed on it.

BYD exercised subtlety when they played with the curves for the Atto 3, and I think I prefer it that way. The satin silver detail on the D-pillar is a nice touch, and the wheel design is rather neat and reminds me of those little folded propellers/windmills on sticks we had as kids. But perhaps it’s the rear that really got to me: the design of the full-width taillight is reminiscent of the Cylons from BSG.

The exterior may be subtle, but the interior is something else. Clearly, BYD threw out the notion of going conventional and fully embraced the “ocean series” that they have been marketing with their models. As such, the conservative exterior features a very liberal cabin with flowing lines on the dash, door levers that are hard to describe, A/C vents that remind me of stacked records in a jukebox, and guitar strings on the doors that serve as storage pockets. And yes, the strings can be played like a guitar.

The cabin is neatly designed though it won’t be for everyone. Once we look past the eccentric design, then we can see that it's fairly conventional when it comes to the controls: steering wheel with control pads (cruise, audio, etc.), the T-bar transmission control (returns to center, not gate type), a multi-info digital screen as your main instrument cluster, and the larger touchscreen in the middle that houses controls nearly everything in the vehicle. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are standard on this Premium variant, a 360-degree camera with a 3D view, drive recorder, climate control, and so on and so forth.

There are some things that I feel obliged to point out. For one, the quality of the A/C vents doesn’t feel like it will last too long, while the guitar strings may get stretched out if kids play with them. But perhaps it’s the practicality of the rotate function of the screen that I’m trying to understand; why add extra complexity if the mirroring (Android Auto, in my case) won’t work in portrait mode?

Once you do factor those considerations in, there really is a lot to enjoy with the Atto 3 like the really comfortable yet sporty front seats, the huge power sunroof, the rear space, the color combination (white, blue, red stitch), and the abundance of charging ports. Clearly, BYD is taking tech seriously, and you’ll feel it in the car.

On the road, the normal things that are expected of any EV are what you’ll feel. The Atto 3 is smooth like butter on a good road because there are no reciprocating things (e.g. pistons, valves, camshafts) that cause vibration; on a long road trip, that means fewer stops to the restroom. The vehicle is also supremely silent because all we hear is exterior ambient noise. If you’re a parent with a teenager, it’ll be hard to hear them leave or arrive.

What will really surprise anyone new to EVs is the instant torque and acceleration. If we look at the max torque of most electric motors, it's usually at 0 rpm and there’s so much of it at 310 Newton meters. So be careful if you have a heavy right foot because you close the gaps quite quickly, and also it burns your front tires (this being FWD) if you keep doing that.

The range is also impressive. For a compact SUV like the Atto 3 Extended Range to feature a range of 480 kilometers on a full charge is truly remarkable; even when you factor in the inefficiencies of urban traffic in Metro Manila, we were still easily getting 400 total. BYD’s range is good because the battery is good: it’s a 60.4 kWh LFP pack that BYD markets as the Blade battery.

That’s the BYD advantage because they are a battery manufacturer first and foremost, and they poured in their expertise to ensure its safety. During a visit to their facility in China, they demonstrated that by punching a nail through a standard lithium-ion battery (which burned up with gusto, as expected). However, the same nail didn’t do much to the Blade LFP even when it pierced straight through.

The charging is the important thing to keep in mind. Each Atto 3 now uses Type 2 and CCS2, and it comes with a portable charger (slow), a V2L adapter (so you can power devices), and a BYD wall charger you can install in your garage to give you 7 kilowatts without needing to upgrade existing wiring (depending on your home, of course). Using AC charging at the maximum 7kw expect a 0-100% charge time in the 8.5 hour range; that applies to home or commercial AC charging. If you plug into a CCS2 charger, then the time will drop dramatically as the Atto 3 can take on a max 80kw from a DC fast charger. That means 30-80% in just about 30 minutes.

As a daily-driven crossover, the Atto 3 Extended Range is great especially if it suits your lifestyle and your driving routes. While ground clearance isn’t great, the water wading is pretty impressive as evidenced by a video from Cebu of an Atto 3. There’s no air intake to worry about for an engine, but I still wouldn’t do it to a car that isn’t mine.

At just under PHP 1.8 million (with a lower 410 km range variant at PHP 1.6M) it’s something that really convinced a lot of customers to make the switch. But like I said: if it suits your lifestyle and driving routes. This may be a no-go for condo dwellers that can’t install a charger; and also, condos are wary of EVs due to the misplaced fear of some kind of spontaneous combustion. There’s always a reason, but it’s worth thinking about.

That’s really the only concern with a vehicle like the Atto 3 and EV in general: access to chargers. That’s why the partnership with Ayala and BYD is crucial, as BYD has the technologically advanced cars, while Ayala has the national footprint (and motivation) to make charging widespread.

The only problem though: the Sealion 6 is here at just over PHP 1.5M. I see the Atto 3 being overshadowed -at least in the short term- until the charging infrastructure keeps up.