Best-selling compact — BYD’s Atto 3 has become a global favorite e-cross SUV
Photographs CourtesyY of AC MOTORS AC Motors chairman Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala (center) and Mobility Access Philippines Ventures Inc. president Toti Zara (right) is joined by BYD Philippines and Singapore managing director James Ng in welcoming guest at the unveiling BYD Atto 3.
In September, China's electric vehicle giant BYD achieved a major milestone when it announced that it has produced 500,000 units of the 2024 Atto 3, a BYD model which was introduced to the public only last year.
The pure electric crossover SUV has become BYD's best-selling export model which is now the favorite electric vehicle in Thailand (over 14,000 units sold), Australia (more than 10,000 units sold), Singapore, Israel and Sweden, among other countries.
The Philippines is the latest country to welcome the crossover SUV when AC Motors' Mobility Access Philippines Ventures Inc. — the official distributor of BYD in the Philippines under the Ayala Group of Companies — officially revealed the two trims of the Atto 3 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.
The Atto 3 is the fourth addition to the electric vehicles that the public can buy through AC Motors. Also available are the Han pure electric premium sedan, the seven-seater Tang pure electric mid-size SUV, and the Dolphin pure electric subcompact hatch.
During the presentation, AC Motors chairman Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala said that his company is committed to its goal of becoming the leading EV platform in the Philippines.
"We support the Philippine government's own ambition of transforming half of all cars on the roads into electric vehicles by 2040," he said.
The Atto 3 is a potential hit in the country because of its size, price and range. With ample room for five passengers and cargo, the most affordable variant is the P1.598 million BYD Atto 3 Dynamic, which is equipped with a 49.92 kWh battery that provides 345 km of range before getting completely drained.
The Atto 3 Premium, on the other hand, costs P1.798 million and is powered by a larger 60.48 kWh battery that is capable of covering 420 km.
Propelling both variants is a front-mounted electric motor that generates 201 hp and 310 Nm of torque and powered by BYD's proprietary lithium iron phosphate Blade Battery.
Aside from improved battery space utilization, the Blade Battery offers a new level of safety, durability and performance. According to BYD, the Blade Battery went through a rigorous safety test and has exceeded the required standards of the Nail Penetration Test (the most stringent way to test a battery's thermal runaway).
