The BYD Atto 3 will start at £36,490 ($43,230) in the UK and deliveries there will begin on March 15.

(Image credit: BYD)

BYD, after entering the UK commercial vehicle market 10 years ago, is now bringing its passenger cars to the European country.

BYD Atto 3 officially went on sale in the UK on March 8, its first passenger car offered in the country, the company announced today.

The model has a starting price of £36,490 ($43,230) in the UK and will begin local deliveries on March 15, according to the company.

The Atto 3, known as the BYD Yuan Plus in China, is the new energy vehicle (NEV) maker's first model built for the global market and is already available in several markets, including Japan, Australia and Singapore.

The BYD Yuan Plus has a starting price range of RMB 139,800 ($20,080) to RMB 167,800 in China.

The first BYD pioneer stores will open soon, located in the backbone of the UK, including Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Milton Keynes, the company said.

Since 2013, BYD has been present in the UK market with its all-electric buses, driving more than 43 million kilometers and thus reducing CO2 emissions by the equivalent of 46,000 tons, it said.

"BYD now launches in the UK automotive marketplace with the BYD ATTO 3 bringing pinnacle technology and revolutionary battery expertise, " the company said.

The BYD Atto 3 is available in the UK in three trim levels -- Active, Comfort and Design -- with Comfort and Design versions going on sale in the first quarter and Active in the second quarter, as part of the first phase of BYD car's entry into the UK market.

On September 28, 2022, BYD introduced three battery electric vehicles (BEVs) -- the Atto 3, Han, and Tang -- to the European market at an online launch event, to be delivered to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.

The Atto 3 was then available in Germany for a pre-order price of €38,000 ($40,050).

By the end of 2022, customers in France and the UK will also get BYD's zero-emissions cars, BYD said at the time. It now appears that BYD's passenger car launch in the UK is several months later than originally planned.

The Atto 3, named Yuan Plus in China, went on sale in China on February 19, 2022, the first SUV on BYD's all-electric platform, e-platform 3.0.

Alongside its launch in China, it is also available for pre-order in Australia under the name Atto 3. The Atto name is inspired by the Attosecond, the smallest unit of time scale in physics.

To date, the Atto 3 is available in about 10 countries and regions, including Japan on January 31.

(£1 = $1.1848, $1 = RMB 6.9621)

BYD Feb sales breakdown: Song 52,400 units, Yuan 33,612 units