The world’s biggest electric vehicle maker has launched its first showroom in Australia, a move it says will shake up the automotive industry and change the way motorists buy cars.
BYD opened the doors to its Sydney Megastore on Thursday, showing off vehicles, battery technology and an unreleased electric sedan, the Seal.
The move comes after the Chinese brand earned the title of Australia’s second biggest EV brand, behind only Tesla, after selling more than 8000 electric vehicles this year.
Luke Todd, chief executive of EVDirect, which represents BYD in Australia, said the Sydney store was the first of three planned for the country, with future showrooms to open in Brisbane and Melbourne.
He said the Sydney store was designed to educate consumers about electric vehicle technology, and to raise the brand’s profile.
“What we wanted to do is create an experience that is more about people understanding the brand and immersing themselves in the technology … and realising that switching to an EV is not as difficult as they may think,” Mr Todd said.
“It saves you money, it makes a contribution to a better planet, it’s more enjoyable to drive.”
He said the store would be staffed with “tech experts” rather than salespeople, would show off BYD's battery technology, and would offer test drives.
Mr Todd said it would also allow visitors to buy an Atto 3 or Dolphin vehicle and receive it the same day.
“We’re very happy to be mavericks and lead the way,” he said.
“We believe this will be a turning point when other automotive brands see this and compare it to what has been around for 20 or 30 years in the traditional dealership, which not everyone enjoys.”
Socceroos great Tim Cahill, who has invested in BYD, said the store would play an important role in introducing Australians to electric vehicle technology and explaining how families could cut fuel bills.
“Yes, I’ve played (professional soccer) for 20 years and driven some of the best cars, but at the same time we need to think about the effect that has on the planet, that it has on families," he said.
Mr Cahill, who retired from the sport after making 108 appearances for the Socceroos, said visitors to the BYD Megastore might also be surprised by the brand’s upcoming sports car, the Seal, which can reach 100km/h in 3.8 seconds.
“This (is the) car that I’ve been waiting for,” he said.
“It’s going to hit the market and people are going to go, ‘Wow, that’s electric’?”
The Electric Vehicle Council says electric cars made up 8.4 per cent of all new vehicles sold in Australia during the first six months of the year - an increase of 121 per cent from 2022.
BYD’s Atto 3 SUV became the third biggest-selling electric car to June, with more than 6100 models sold.
