Chinese auto giant BYD entered the Indian passenger car market last year, with the automaker hoping to capture a sizeable segment of the premium electric passenger car segment in the country. The brand recently launched the Atto 3 electric SUV in India, which along with the e6 electric MPV will be a growth driver for the automaker. In a recent interview with HT Auto, Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, senior vice president of BYD India, said the company’s focus will be on reaching its sales target of 15,000 units by 2023.
Also read: BYD Atto 3 first drive review: Expensive but promising electric SUV
Sanjay Gopalakrishnan said: “Since its launch in October, the response has been fantastic [2022]We think that next year our plan is to sell nearly 15,000 units of Atto 3 and e6 in India, which will give us a fairly stable position in the premium segment of the EV industry. “
BYD India is betting on both models to fuel its sales momentum and will expand its dealer network across the country to boost sales. The automaker plans to end 2022 with about 24 dealerships in 21 cities, up from 53 next year.
The BYD e6 is now also on sale to private buyers and will compete with the Toyota Hycross and Kia Carnival at the same price point (HT Auto/Sabyasachi Dasgupta)
Elaborating on this, Gopalakrishnan said, “The key to the success of the passenger car business in India is a stable network, both sales and after-sales. Moving forward, we will close about 24 outlets in about 21 cities by the end of this year. Next year, from around 15,000 sales, it will expand almost 53 stores in various cities. It could be current dealers opening multiple outlets. It could be new territories, new dealers. We also make sure that they also Opening workshops, because EVs don’t require as much service, but customer confidence is very important. So they will have workshops with spare parts, so customers don’t have any problems.”
Also read: BYD Atto 3 electric SUV gets 1,500 pre-orders in a month
BYD India’s sales strategy includes promoting its technology and products to customers, while the brand relies on strong word-of-mouth and after-sales experience to attract more customers to its showrooms.
“A good after-sales strategy will bring you more sales. It will bring you referrals, more people will be happy, and more customers will enter the showroom. Therefore, we ask our network partners to Opening workshops. In Chennai we will open a warehouse where we will stock enough parts for e6 and Atto 3 so that dealers can get a steady supply. We are also training our dealer technicians which is very important especially It’s in electric vehicle technology. We’re training them at our headquarters through our global team and our aftermarket team in India. So they’re competent and qualified to service cars.”
Both brands are arriving in India in semi-bulk pack (SKD) kits
BYD India started its presence in the Indian passenger vehicle market in 2021 with the e6 MPV, but only for commercial users. The automaker started sales to private buyers in August to match the rapid expansion of its dealerships. The automaker wants to make a difference in the high-end EV space, where there is currently limited competition outside of Hyundai and Kia. It also has hybrid technology to compete with similarly priced offerings.
The price of BYD e6 is ¥2.915 million, while the recently launched Atto 3 sells for ¥3.399 million (all prices ex-showroom India). The company has taken 1,500 pre-orders to date since the Atto 3 launched in October.
First published date: December 14, 2022 at 11:19 AM CST
https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto/electric-vehicles/byd-india-aims-to-sell-15-000-evs-next-year-53-outlets-planned-by-end-of-2023-41670920880003.html