Electric Cars: The Basics
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The All-Electric BYD ATTO 3 SUV
Though, BYD Auto Co., Ltd is not an automotive brand we may easily recognise in Ireland, the BYD pure electric buses have been prevalent in European markets, since 2013. 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
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 Europe, except, if you have spotted the brand on your local public e-bus!
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 Ireland 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 electric car charging. 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!
| 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 |
Gallery
The All-Electric BYD ATTO 3 SUV (credit: BYD)
| At A Glance | |
|---|---|
| EV Type: | Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) |
| Body Type: | SUV |
| Engine: | Electric |
| Available In Ireland: | Yes |
| Variants (3 Options) |
|---|
| BYD ATTO 3 Active (from € 39,078) |
| BYD ATTO 3 Comfort (from € 39,546) |
| BYD ATTO 3 Design (from € 40,949) |
| 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 |
| Average Cost Of Residential Charging | |
|---|---|
| Battery net capacity: 16.7 kWh | € 4.00 |
| Battery net capacity: 30.0 kWh | € 7.19 |
| Battery net capacity: 39.2 kWh | € 9.39 |
| Battery net capacity: 45.0 kWh | € 10.78 |
| Battery net capacity: 50.0 kWh | € 11.98 |
| Battery net capacity: 64.0 kWh | € 15.34 |
| Battery net capacity: 71.0 kWh | € 17.01 |
| Battery net capacity: 77.0 kWh | € 18.45 |
| Battery net capacity: 90.0 kWh | € 21.57 |
| Battery net capacity: 100.0 kWh | € 23.97 |
- Note 1: The average cost of residential electricity in Ireland varies depending on the region, supplier and type of energy used. An average for Ireland is 23.97 cents/kWh.
- Note 2: Not all EV manufactures make available the data on net EV battery capacity, and in a number of instances the EV battery capacity advertised, does not state if it is gross or net capacity. In general, usable EV battery capacity is between 85% to 95% of the gross available capacity.
| 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
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Height (mm): | 1615 |
| Width (mm): | 1875 |
| Length (mm): | 4455 |
| Wheelbase (mm): | 2720 |
| Turning Circle (m): | 10.7 |
| Boot Space (L): | 440 |
| 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 |
Top Reasons To Buy A Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Never have the reasons to buy a pure electric car been more compelling, than in 2023. The past decade has witnessed a significant maturity of all types of electric vehicles (EVs), to include, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
In particular, BEVs have improved significantly, to include: e-range, styling, performance, choice, availability and more! A BEV, also known as a pure electric car, is propelled using energy stored in an EV battery via an electric motor. While a PHEV uses ‘hybrid technology’, to include, an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor, to propel the vehicle. A BEV does not use an internal combustion engine!
In terms of zero-emission electric range, the latest generation of all-electric cars can achieve between 200 km to 500 km on a single charge. Some even more. As an example, the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE saloon has a claimed electric range up to 618 km (WLTP) on a single charge. We can continue to expect further improvements in battery performance and electric range in the coming years.
In terms of style and performance, we are now spoilt for choice across all budget segments. Even the likes of the famed ultra-luxurious automotive manufacturer, Rolls-Royce Motors Cars has joined the race to the migration to pure electric cars.
The all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre is a defining chapter in the history of the famed luxury automotive manufacturer, as it migrates to the production of electric cars. From 2030, Rolls-Royce will electrify its entire portfolio of luxury cars. The Spectre is the first production pure electric car, which was announced in September 2021. The launch of the Rolls-Royce Spectre is also a defining moment for the global automotive industry!
| Top Reasons To Buy A Pure Electric Car | |
|---|---|
| Tailpipe emissions: | A pure electric car has zero-tailpipe emissions i.e. improves air quality in the immediate area. |
| Cheaper to ‘charge’ than ‘fill’: | Significantly cheaper to recharge a full EV battery, compared to filling a full tank of petrol or diesel. An EV battery can be charged for as little as€10, while filling a tank of fuel is usually over€100! |
| Cheaper running costs: | Cheaper to drive per km, compared to an internal combustion engine (ICE) petrol/ diesel car. An EV costs less than 10 cents per km to drive. |
| Lower maintenance costs: | Lower maintenance costs, compared to aninternal combustion engine petrol/ diesel car. Pure electric cars have fewer moving parts, so less can go wrong! |
| Lower noise pollution: | Lower noise pollution,compared to aninternal combustion engine petrol/ diesel car. Noise pollution is as detrimental to health, as air pollution! |
| Smoother and quieter drive: | BEVs are in general silent, improving the travel experience in the cabin. Moreover, the delivery of power is smoother, further enhancing the driving experience. |
| Instant torque: | Yes certainly, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) have better torque performance compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. BEVs can deliver immediate torque. The better torque performance of electric cars, further contributes to the ‘fun factor’ in driving an EV, compared to a conventional car. |
| Vast choice for all budgets: | A vast range of fantastic EV available on sale, for all budgets, body types and aspirations. |
| Government grants: | Attractive government subsidies to support the uptake of electric cars. Take advantage while still available. |
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