Live stream Q&A with BYD NZ brand manager coming Thursday

AutoTalk New Zealand and EVs & Beyond have confirmed that they will be hosting a questions and answers live stream this coming Thursday with BYD New Zealand brand manager Warren Willmot.

The stream will take place at 7.30pm on June 23, and can be viewed on the EVs & Beyond Facebook page and YouTube account.

The live Q&A session will be hosted by Richard Edwards, and will also include input from the audience.

Questions from the audience may be taken from the live audience and submitted to Willmot in real time. Those with particularly burning questions are encouraged to put them forward via email ahead of time.

Questions can be emailed to richard@automediagroup.co.nz.

Earlier this month it was confirmed that Chinese manufacturer BYD had chosen Ateco as its New Zealand distributor, ending months of speculation around how the marque would roll out to our market.

Willmot was confirmed as brand manager as part of the announcement, having previously held roles with Renault, Isuzu Ute, SsangYong, and LDV. While at LDV, he assisted in the launch of the brand’s electric vans.

While not exclusively an EV carmaker BYD’s presence down under is set to be heavily EV based, with the brand shaping up as one of several new names set to improve the availability and affordability of plug-in vehicles in the region.

The first BYD to launch on both sides of the ditch will be the Atto 3 crossover, with first deliveries scheduled to take place before the end of the year. Two more BEVs are scheduled to join the line-up next year, with five models in total to be launched in New Zealand by 2025.

The Atto 3 will be available in two versions, with ranges of 320kms and 420kms respectively, according to WLTP condition. While pricing has yet to be confirmed, it’s speculated that the model will go toe-to-toe with the MG ZS EV in the fight to become the country’s most affordable EV.

Core to the BYD electric range of vehicles is the Blade Battery; a pioneering battery design allows for increased energy, storage capacity and greater range, as its construction accommodates a more significant number of cells than a conventional Lithium-Iron phosphate battery.