BYD Launches In Senegal, Starting With The ATTO 3

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BYD is without doubt one of the main EV corporations that’s now making its battery electrical autos accessible in additional locations around the globe. Nowadays, it looks as if we hear that BYD has launched a few of its fashions to a brand new nation each week or one thing. Notably, BYD is without doubt one of the few huge OEMs that’s not ignoring the South American and African markets. Which is nice, as a result of it reveals that even the smallest markets around the globe won’t be left behind by the EV transition. I all the time say each EV that displaces a possible buy of an inside combustion engine automobile makes a distinction.

Senegal is the most recent market to get BYD EVs. Yesterday, BYD introduced that it’s launching operations within the West African nation, beginning with the ATTO 3. The ATTO 3 and the small Dolphin hatchback have been the go-to launch fashions for BYD in a variety of markets around the globe.

The BYD ATTO 3 is available in two fashions in most markets. Each fashions have a 150kW/310Nm everlasting magnet synchronous motor, front-wheel drive, and acceleration of 0–100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. The Normal Vary has a 345 km WLTP vary, and the Prolonged Vary model has a 420 km WLTP vary. AC charging is as much as 7 kW with a Kind 2 connector and DC  charging is as much as 70kW/80kW (CCS2) respectively. The ATTO 3 is a C-class SUV constructed on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0.

Senegal’s automobile panorama is characterised by a really getting old fleet. Basically, all of the vehicles on capital metropolis Dakar’s roads use low-quality fossil fuel and contribute to about 2.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, with a calculated social cost of $97 million per year. These numbers are rising quickly. Moreover, 1 / 4 of toddler deaths in West Africa at the moment are associated to air air pollution. Air air pollution additionally results in different ailments that result in elevated public well being prices, decrease studying outcomes in school, and diminished productiveness within the office. So, it’s actually good to see extra EV choices being made accessible in Senegal.

Getting older taxis are among the worst contributors to this air pollution in Dakar. There are about 16,000 taxis in Dakar, Senegal, and though they account for lower than 5% of Dakar’s automobile inhabitants, they represent about 45% of the visitors circulation on common as they zoom by way of town all day in search of prospects. These taxis contribute not less than 20% of the air air pollution in Dakar, so switching them to electrical would have enormous advantages for everybody within the metropolis. Mbay Mobility was the primary mover in Senegal’s electrical automobile sector and is working to sort out this downside by offering modern financing fashions to assist taxi drivers swap to electrical autos.

BYD has been collaborating with native companions in a variety of its new markets. In Africa, BYD has partnered with CFAO. CFAO Mobility in Rwanda just lately launched East Africa’s first BYD automobile dealership in Kigali. The showroom is positioned within the Kicuriko district and covers 330 sq. meters. The ATTO 3 electrical SUV will probably be accessible within the Rwanda market instantly, adopted by the Dolphin and Dolphin Mini (BYD Seagull) fashions within the coming weeks. CFAO Mobility says they’re a pioneer within the deployment of electrical options on the continent and can provide Rwanda an ecosystem of providers to assist the autos, putting in recharging stations and supplying solar energy technology options, automobile upkeep, help, and spare components.

In line with CFAO’s web site, Toyota Tsusho Company (TTC) has been a serious shareholder in CFAO since 2012. In 2017, after cementing their relationship in 2016, CFAO turned Toyota Tsusho Company’s (TTC)  African division and its platform for enterprise improvement on the continent. The brand new entity provides to current divisions masking automotive, metals, chemical compounds & electronics, and extra.

It’s nice to see extra EVs being launched to extra markets around the globe. Shoppers can solely purchase what is obtainable of their markets, and subsequently, as extra EVs begin to attain extra locations around the globe, we’ll actually begin to see the transition collect extra momentum.

Photographs courtesy of BYD