TrueGreen Mobility – the Australian importer for Chinese automotive brand BYD – has confirmed plans to bring three electric vehicles to the Australian market for under $35,000.

The first of the three EVs set to arrive through TrueGreen Mobility subsidiary Nexport is the BYD T3 electric van. Orders for the van will open in July this year, with the first deliveries planned for September.

Measuring 4460mm from nose to tail and capable of holding up to 3800 litres of cargo, the zero-emission van is geared towards the home-delivery and tradie markets.

Energy is drawn from a 49.2kWh lithium-ion ‘Blade’ battery pack, allowing for a claimed range of 300km between charges on the more lenient NEDC cycle.

If the target price is to be believed, the BYD T3 is set to become Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle by a margin of almost $10,000.

Two BYD passenger EVs (rumoured to be the EA1 hatchback and the Yuan Plus SUV), are set to follow, both also expected below $35,000 – excluding on-road costs.

The announcement comes after Queensland businessman Trevor St Baker invested $20 million into TrueGreen Mobility, with hopes to accelerate EV uptake. St Baker Innovation Fund will also draw on its connection with Evie Networks, which is planning to ramp up its charging infrastructure roll out in response to the news.

Fund Chief Executive Rodger Whitby said the investment in TrueGreen Mobility signified a pivotal point for electromobility in Australia, with affordable EVs and a massive rollout of charging infrastructure the solution for rapid public uptake.

“This investment is the cornerstone to a much bolder plan for TrueGreen Mobility, with considerable further investment also going into expediting the growth of Evie Network,” Whitby said.

“We have now reached the inflection point to confidently transition towards zero-emission vehicles with TrueGreen Mobility’s competitively priced vehicles making clean transport more accessible to millions of Australians.”

The company already has a presence in Australia, with 70 electric taxis and several buses in New South Wales.

Sources:

InQueensland | Affordable electric vehicles now in St Baker’s investment sights 

The Driven | TrueGreen says it has three EVs coming to Australian market under $35,000

1 June 2021