Earlier this month, it was reported that the Victorian EV subsidy was being scrapped on June 30, 2023 – 11 months earlier than expected. Now, with the hope of snatching up last-minute buyers in the state, BYD has allocated extra cars to Victoria.
BYD entered Australia last year with the ATTO 3, an electric hatchback that we thought quite highly of in our review. Since then, the ATTO 3 has become one of the most popular electric vehicles in Australia, with a competitive price, range and specs offer.
And now, just before BYD is launching its next electric car in Australia, the Dolphin, the company in charge of local distribution (EV Direct) has announced a quick response to Victoria’s pulled EV subsidy.
“It is important for us as a company to rally for Victorians ahead of the surprise announcement that the rebate scheme will end on 30 June. BYD will commit 2,700 ATTO 3s for delivery to Victorians who are eligible, as long as orders are placed before 6pm June 30.” EV Direct COO Mark Harland said.
The CEO of EV Direct, Luke Todd, also took to LinkedIn to announce the allocation.
“In response to the announcement from the Victorian government to drop the state-based EV subsidy, EV Direct has been able to immediately allocate an additional 750 BYD electric ATTO 3’s to VIC for delivery this month – and will allocate a further 1,950 for delivery by the end of this year,” Todd said.
Prospective EV buyers in Victoria who want to purchase a BYD Atto 3 can access the state’s $3,000 rebate until June 30.
This rebate brings the price of the standard model down to $45,011.35 before on-road costs, or $48,011.35 for the extended-range model before on-road costs.
If you’ve been on the fence about buying an electric vehicle, the BYD Atto 3 is a pretty solid pick – it was our runner-up for EV of the year, trailing the Polestar 2.