Sime Darby Motors (SDM) is in talks with China’s BYD to become its official distributor in Malaysia. Sime Darby’s automotive division told The ledge that it is currently in “initial discussion” with BYD, the electric vehicle specialist based in Shenzhen.
“We are in initial discussions with BYD, which are currently underway. If there are appropriate developments, this will be announced as and when appropriate,” SDM said when contacted by the business publication.
“SDM continues to grow its electric vehicle fleet through partnerships with global brands. Besides BMW, other electric vehicles in our portfolio include Hyundai Ioniq 5, Electric Hyundai Kona, Porsche Taycan and Volvo XC40 (Pure Electric Recharge), with many other models in the pipeline. Electric vehicle sales remain encouraging and we continue to see an increase, with orders exceeding allocations,” it added.
It has been reported that SDM will bring 2,000 BYD EVs into Malaysia by the end of 2022 and another 10,000 next year, but the auto group did not comment on this speculation. Sime Darby Motors has been the distributor for BYD in Singapore through their subsidiary Vantage Automotive Limited, and it will sell BYD Atto 3 there.
If you’ve heard a fair bit about BYD these days, it’s because Warren Buffett is backed The company is on the Fortune 500 list – which went into electric vehicles before it became trendy – is expanding into Thailand, which will serve as an export base for ASEAN and even Europe. BYD has buy a piece of land in Rayong for its factory, and Thailand’s new distributor, Rever Automotiveis set to launch of the first CBU model on October 10.
That car is BYD Atto 3, where deliveries have recently started in Australia. The Extended Range variant will launch in Thailand next month for around 1.2 million baht (RM146,809) and the Standard Range will launch in late 2022, possibly at the International Auto Show. Thailand.
This neat-looking electric crossover is powered by a front-mounted 204 hp/310 Nm electric motor that is capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. The standard range comes with a 49.92 kWh battery that offers 345 km of range (WLTP, 410 km if NEDC), while the Extended Range receives a 60.48 kWh unit rated at 420 km (WLTP, 480 km if NEDC). The indoor EV battery supports AC charging (Type 2 connection) up to 7 kW as well as DC fast charging (CCS2).
For the latter, Standard Range can reach up to 70 kW, while it is 80 kW for Extended Range, higher input allows 0-80% charge state in 45 minutes. One can also charge devices via V2L (truck) with a capacity of up to 2.2 kW. Click on the links above for more information on BYD’s move to Thailand.
What do you think of the BYD Atto 3? Present, Hyundai Kona Electric e-Lite for RM156,538 – tax free but with SST – is the most affordable tram in Malaysia and Atto 3 can discount.
GALLERY: BYD Atto 3
GALLERY: Seal of BYD
