An electric car has become the cheapest new car in Australian showrooms, and it’s Chinese.

The price leader is the BYD Atto 1, now pegged at just $19,990 drive-away as part of a special offer running until December 15. That makes the battery-powered city runabout Australia’s cheapest new car, regardless of whether it runs on petrol or electricity. It is also the country’s cheapest EV.

The sharp pricing comes as BYD accelerates its drive towards the top of the Australian sales charts.

It was a narrow second to Toyota, by just 243 cars, in June and has become a permanent fixture in the monthly Top 10.

But despite the push for big numbers and bargain pricing, BYD hates being described as a Chinese cheapie brand.

“We’re good value for money. We want to make electrified cars accessible to any Australian,” BYD Australia chief operating officer Stephen Collins told Starts at 60.

“There’s a lot of difference between value and cheap. What we’re trying to do is position ourselves as a brand of choice. We’re using the value we can bring, and the technology.”

A new price leader

BYD has taken the bragging rights at the budget end of the market from petrol-powered rivals, marking a significant shift in a segment once dominated by Korean and Japanese brands.

The Atto 1 Essential’s $19,990 drive-away offer puts it below rivals including the Kia Picanto and makes an EV the cheapest new car in Australia.

It also arrives as BYD rolls out the Atto 2 DM-i Essential, priced from $24,990 before on-road costs and now Australia’s cheapest new plug-in hybrid.

BYD’s bigger Australian push

Away from its eye-catching showroom stickers, BYD’s aggressive expansion plan includes a rapidly growing dealer network, new parts distribution centres and a local engineering program.

The company has been expanding its sales and service footprint at speed, particularly into regional Australia.

“We’re heavily ramping up that area of our business. And it’s all about localisation,” Collins said.

For Australian buyers, the bigger milestone may be simpler: for the first time, the cheapest new car in the country doesn’t need a petrol pump.

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