Reports from Thailand say the BYD Atto 3 was the top selling BEV in Thailand in the first half of the year. The Atto 3 registered 11,167 units in the first half of the year, followed by the Hozon Auto Neta V with 5,955 units. The Tesla Model Y was in third place with 3,638 units, followed by the Ora Good Cat with 2,471 units in fourth place, and the MG4 rounded off the top 5 with 1,848 units.
In the top ten, SAIC’s MG brand had the most number of models with 3 — the MG4, MG EP, and the MG ZS EV. Tesla had 2 models, the Model Y and the Model 3. Volvo also had 2 models, the XC40 and the C40. BYD has been topping the charts with essentially one model for a while, the ATTO 3. That is about to change as BYD is now adding one more variant of the more affordable Dolphin. BYD has previously announced that it will add the Standard Range Dolphin to the Thai market. The 44.9 kWh Standard Range Dolphin will start at a very attractive price of 699,999 Thai Baht, which is just US$19,919!
Now BYD has announced that it will also add the Extended Range Dolphin (60kWh). The Extended Range Dolphin starts from 859,999 Thai Baht, which works out to be approximately $24,474. The Standard Range Dolphin is priced competitively with some popular ICE cars, such as the Toyota Yaris and the Honda Fit, and in some cases, it is even cheaper than some of those ICE variants. This will be a game-changer, as it not only adds more BEV options to the market but adds them at prices that will definitely tempt some consumers to ditch some ICE vehicles from their prospective new vehicle shopping list.
In total, 31,738 BEVs were sold in Thailand in the first 6 months of the year. With the addition of more models to the market in the next few months, and more importantly more affordable models such as the Dolphin, sales of BEVs will surely rise much faster in the next half of the year. The Standard Range Atto 3 starts from 1,099,900 baht in Thailand ($31,500). That means the Standard Range Dolphin starts a whole $11,581 less than the Atto 3. Of course, the Dolphin is a much smaller car and in a different segment, but it does go to show the wide range of BEVs that are now available in the Thai market, giving consumers more options. A BEV with a 45kWh battery for $19,919 looks like a very good deal.
In Thailand, BYD has partnered with Rever Automotive. BYD has also started constructing a plant in Thailand that will produce 150,000 vehicles per year. Back to the Dolphin — the Dolphin looks set to play a major role in BYD’s global expansion push. Last week, the Dolphin was also launched in Singapore. The Dolphin has also been recently launched in the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Images from the BYD Dolphin launch in Singapore last week. Images courtesy of BYD.
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