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Chinese BYD Tang electric SUV spotted in Sydney

China's BYD appears to have had a stalled start in Australia. Does this new model signal a new beginning?


A new electric SUV from Chinese brand BYD, dubbed the 'Tang', has been spotted in Sydney by CarAdvice. 

The car has an unregistered vehicle permit attached to the window, which suggests it has been previously driven on public roads. In May 2019, BYD announced it would bring its vehicles to Australia through a deal with local company Evant, however it is yet to make inroads.

The vehicle seen was an EV600D model, with high performance Brembo brakes, leather interior, and a huge centre infotainment screen.

Powering this all-wheel drive version are two 180kW electric motors on either axle, which are fed from a 82.8 kWh battery pack.

Both motors combine to produce a total system output of 360kW, which is enough to propel the Tang EV600D from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds.

Claimed range under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) testing protocol is 520km.

BYD (which stands for Build Your Dreams) is one of China's largest electric vehicle manufacturers.

It has recently joined forced with Toyota to co-fund electric vehicle research, development and production efforts. It has also just launched a market trial in Norway, which represents its first passenger car effort outside of its domestic market.

In Australia, the Chinese brand has sold limited numbers of its electric taxi in Sydney (pictured below).

CarAdvice reached out to a local BYD representative for comment, however they did not respond.


Justin Narayan

After more than a decade working in the product planning and marketing departments of brands like Kia, Subaru and Peugeot, Justin Narayan returned to being a motoring writer – the very first job he held in the industry.

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