2026 BYD Atto 1 confirmed: Will Australia soon have a $25k EV?

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD is no stranger to aggressive pricing, but its new Atto 1 micro electric car could shift the needle in a huge way.

Confirmed by the brand for a November 2025 Australian release, the Atto 1 (known in other markets as the Seagull or Dolphin Surf) will become the smallest and cheapest BYD model in the brand’s expanding line-up, according to BYD Australia.

While pricing is not yet confirmed, BYD Australia chief Stephen Collins has hinted to Australian media what to expect: “The Atto 1 will be Australia’s most affordable EV by some margin.”

Exactly what ‘some margin’ entails remains unclear, but seeing as BYD already sells the cheapest EV in Australia – the BYD Dolphin small EV for $29,990 – the price would need to be far-removed enough to not cannibalise sales within its own range.

We had the opportunity to drive the Atto 1 in China earlier this year, and placed our own price estimate at $25,000 before on-roads if the model were to ever come Down Under – representing a major 20 per cent price reduction over its stablemate.

Beyond the Dolphin (and soon to be Atto 1), the next three cheapest EVs available in Australia are the GWM Ora (from $35,990 drive-away), the MG 4 (from $37,990 drive-away) and the Chery E5 ($36,990 before on-roads). To put that in perspective, the Atto 1 could undercut the fifth-cheapest EV in Australia by more than a quarter of its price.

For now, huge competition in the space is unlikely to be an issue BYD’s Atto 1. The micro (or city) EV segment is far from saturated in Australia, with the Atto 1’s only rivals – the Hyundai Inster ($39,000 before on-roads) and Fiat 500e ($38,990 drive-away after some aggressive price cuts) both chasing more premium buyers with pricing to match.

As with pricing, local specification has not yet been confirmed. In the Chinese market, the 2026 BYD Atto 1 is offered with multiple battery pack options: 30kWh or 39kWh – both using lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) chemistry. Regardless of capacity, these packs send power to a single, front-mounted electric motor outputting 55kW and 135Nm to the front wheels.

Higher-grade variants in the UK score larger 43kWh LFP packs, producing 115kW and 220Nm. UK-specified cars’ driving ranges – that score the 30kWh or 43kWh packs – have been rated on the stricter WLTP cycle at between 220km to 321km.