Thuan is one of our most active hosts on evee, with 5 electric cars on the platform. He started out with Tesla (and in fact has two Model 3s currently available to rent) and has since added to this private fleet with three BYD EVs. Here’s what Thuan had to say about the affordable brand:
What made you buy a BYD EV? I was always looking for a budget-friendly EV, ever since I owned a Tesla back in 2019. After finding out EV Direct were selling a small handful of BYD EVs for under $40k (15 BYD e6s for $40k each, and 50 BYD T3 Vans for $35k), I decided to put down my interest on the website – I even emailed the CEO Luke Todd explaining that I wanted to buy both of the BYD EVs to rent them out on evee, so more people could experience a BYD.
After a few months of waiting, EV Direct reserved me both the BYD e6 and BYD T3 Van. I also ordered the Atto 3 on the first day reservations were open and think it will be a game changer for EVs under $50k, replacing many ICE cars in Australia.
What are they like to drive? When I first drove the BYD e6, I thought it was much better than my Honda CRV. There was no noise, comfortable, spacious, good handling and decent acceleration on the highway for overtaking.
The BYD T3 Van was also surprisingly good acceleration from a standstill. It was very quiet compared to any other ICE van or ute. In fact, I enjoyed driving my BYD T3 Van more than a Toyota Corolla Hybrid – no down shifts with gear changes and the noise of the engine revving.
The BYD Atto 3 was a great car to drive with great acceleration, good handling, spacious and very comfortable. I don’t mind driving the BYD Atto 3 instead of the Tesla Model 3, sometimes.
Which EV are you most excited to see in the 2023 Australian market?The BYD Dolphin, as I’d like Australia to have a budget EV around $30k so that more ICE cars can be replaced. The MG4 EV is also a great car and hopefully it can be priced under $40k. It would also be good to see an affordable electric ute for around $40k-$50k from BYD. or the Radar RD6 electric ute from Geely.
Check out Thuan’s cars here.
