It can be easy to forget that Chinese giant BYD’s latest crop of EVs isn’t exactly new. BYD’s latest EV entries like the Dolphin and Yuan Plus are more than two years old now. Thus, we’re now starting to get some anecdotal data on just how BYD’s EV will hold up with sustained use. A friend of InsideEVs, Ethan Robertson of the YouTube Channel Wheelsboy, just posted a long-term update of his BYD Yuan Plus (also known as Atto 3 in international markets) after 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles) and a year and a half of use.
Spoiler: it’s been good.
The small BYD crossover was originally purchased for the use of the YouTube channel itself. Robertson and his camera crew needed a vehicle that could serve as a chase car to film rolling B-roll for his video reviews. Of course, Robertson picked the vehicle partially because it was well priced, but also not explicitly a Chinese-market exclusive. Viewers outside of China would get an idea of what they’re in for if they buy an Atto 3 at their local BYD dealership.
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BYD Has Big Global Plans
BYD is currently the second largest manufacturer of EVs, right behind Tesla. It plans to expand into more markets and increase its manufacturing outside of China. It recently confirmed a new EV in Turkey. There are also rumblings that the brand could build a plant in Mexico.
As a whole, the Yuan Plus has been generally flawless, aside from one small hangup in the steering. The steering wheel is weirdly noisy and has an odd lull in the steering when the wheel returns to the center. Otherwise, the car would have been flawless. There were no issues with charging, the vehicle never left the crew stranded, and it behaved as expected. Robertson even added to the vehicle’s utility by installing an aftermarket frunk.
That’s not to say everything was perfect, though. Robertson complained about the noisy, gripless standard tires the Atto 3 came with. The cruise control isn’t great. The USB-C ports in the front aren’t as powerful as the ones in the back seat. He also said that some of the car’s key features, like the rotating center screen or the in-car karaoke microphone, have never been used.
In all, those just sound like minor grievances. The car hasn’t burst into flames, it hasn’t completely fallen apart and left the crew stranded. It’s been a quiet, reliable workhorse for the crew returning 232 miles from its 60 kWh battery.
This bodes well for BYD’s future tie-up with Uber. After all, many EVs have suffered from high repair costs; Hertz has been purging its fleet of Tesla vehicles because of its surprisingly high repair costs and frequent damages. Wheelsboy’s BYD had one accident that facilitated a replacement of the rear passenger door.
It was only $530 for a full, painted replacement. Of course, it’s not clear if that surprisingly low cost will translate outside of China, but at least we can understand that there’s a good chance these things won’t be complete rattletraps when they see service by rideshare drivers everywhere around the world—except the United States. For now, anyway.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
