You’ll be unlikely to find a fleet procurement policy that doesn’t mandate a five star ANCAP rating for new car purchases. So new market entrants need to ensure electric and petrol models are safe enough to meet the new 2023 ANCAP test criteria if they plan on talking to Fleet Managers.
At the launch of the new BYD Megastore in Sydney, I spoke to Luke Todd, CEO at EV Direct, about his plans to target the fleet market and how the BYD electric cars will meet the high safety requirements of fleet buyers.
The BYD ATTO 3 has already been awarded a five star safety rating from ANCAP and is starting to attract some interest from fleet buyers with a Standard Range offering a distance of 345km (tested under WLTP) for less than $50,000. The Extended Range offers 420km (tested under WLTP) for just over $50k.
Though with some Fleet Managers still not sure about the pricing, the recently launched Dolphin offers a range of 340km (tested under WLTP) for less than $40,000 before any government incentives or rebates are applied.
When Todd mentioned the Dolphin as an option for fleets, I agreed the pricing was attractive but hesitated at the thought of its safety rating. And that’s when I got a huge surprise. Because Todd told me they were expecting five stars from ANCAP when the vehicle is tested.
“Why it was six to nine months slower coming into the country than what we anticipated is because we had to make some design changes to ensure that it would achieve a five star ANCAP,” explains Todd.
“It was already extremely safe. The Australian product is a variant with a slightly different front. It’s been engineered to be ANCAP five star rated. We have 100% confidence that it will achieve five stars from ANCAP.”
“We don’t intend to sell any cars that don’t have a five star ANCAP rating. Safety’s number one priority for us. This vehicle (the Dolphin) will be available five star ANCAP at the price point that it is now. It’s a winner for fleets.”
More models for fleets and novated leasing
The next model to be released from BYD is the Seal. It’s a medium sized sedan similar to the Tesla Model 3. Potential buyers can check it out at the new BYD Megastore though pricing and specifications are yet to released.
BYD says enquiries have been strong and they expect it to fill a sweet spot for novated lease buyers looking for larger electric vehicle with a high level of luxury. Without giving away the price there appeared to be some confidence it would priced below the luxury car tax limit of $89,322 for fuel efficient vehicles and will be eligible for the FBT Exemption on a novated lease.
There’s even talk of a dual cab electric ute that can tow with a range of 700km.
