The following is a discussion with an Aussie electric vehicle (EV) owner who has a BYD Atto 3 Extended Range 2022 in Queensland. So they could be fully honest with their answers they asked to be anonymous.
EDITOR: I’m going to publish a regular series of articles with the views of Australian EV owners about their purchase, driving, servicing, charging etc experience.
This will help fill an information gap as the majority of electric car news articles are about new car launches and there’s relatively little published about the longer term Australian ownership experience after you’ve paid for your electric car. Hopefully this shared information helps other Aussies make their own EV purchase decision.
Was your electric car bought or leased?
Bought new.
Please describe your purchasing / lease process experience … Easy, Mediocre, Frustrating..?
Long (February 2022-October 2022).
What has the regular servicing / dealership experience been like?
Frustrating.
5000km service completed however they didn’t mention they couldn’t do the sim card update or the airbag fix. Have rang three times to organise this at BYD service centre and have yet to hear back.
How do you regularly charge your car for day to day usage?
At home fast charger using solar or battery (no grid).
What has your day to day normal charging experience been like?
Seamless.
How do you charge your car for longer road trips on the weekend or during holidays? Do you prefer any particular brand of public fast charger during road trips eg Evie, Tesla, Chargefox and why?
Charge at home except for one long road trip. 2000km round trip. Used Chargefox Queensland Electric Super Highway (QESH).
What’s the farthest road trip you’ve done in your EV and what did you learn from this experience that would be useful for others to know?
To Airlie Beach return to Sunshine Coast, 2000km.
Learned to have a plan B and C.
One Chargefox point was 9 months into ‘unavailable’ status.
The QESH is less ‘super’ & more ‘bare minimum’.
Frequently had to wait a full hour for a Tesla to finish charging.
50kw chargers seemed like a joke in comparison to other states/overseas options for public chargers.
Accommodation (holiday) should be incentivised by government to provide fast chargers.
The whole public charging option is disappointing North of our capital city.
Does your EV have any special features like V2L reverse charging from the car to your portable/home appliances? If yes please share your experience using this special feature
Yes, V2L has charged our home when our battery in house has become low on a few occasions. Worked just fine.
If you have roadside assist included with the car purchase/lease and have had to use it, which company provided the service and what was that experience like?
Yes provided by BYD, but not used. Retained my RACQ breakdown service also.
If you have had issues with your car and asked for these to be fixed under warranty, did the car brand do the right thing and fix it without causing you stress?
Still awaiting return ph call to have appointment made for airbag fix.
What are the 3 strongest aspects of your electric car compared to other similar price electric cars available in Australia?
- Long Range
- Overall finish of the car
- Features of the car eg lane keeping.
What are the 3 weakest aspects of your electric car compared to other similar price electric cars available in Australia?
- Communication with representatives of the car company
- Slow update to software
- Warranty
Would you buy or lease this brand of electric car again and recommend it to others?
Yes, Yes, Yes.
Do you have any other comments about your electric car brand, experience etc?
It’s worth the wait. The car colour and interior styling, and driving features are outstanding, especially for the price. It’s comfortable for long drives and lots of luggage space.
If you’re an Australian electric vehicle owner and would like to participate in this interview series by sharing your experience please contact me directly or add a comment below and let me know.
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