Taking over distributorship from EVDirect will instill 'confidence' for buyers contemplating buying a new BYD, according to the brand.
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BYD Australia, which will take control of importation and distributorship from EVDirect from next month, has big plans for the local market, but what exactly will change under the new arrangement?
Speaking to Drive, BYD Australia Public Relations Manager James Robinson played down any major changes with the brand transitioning to a factory-backed operation, but praised EVDirect for its stewardship until this point.
“Obviously, EVD [EVDirect] has played a very important role in bringing the BYD brand to Australia, and they’ve done an amazing job,” Robinson said.
“We’re still going to be partnering with them into the future, but the brand has grown at a rate I don’t think even we expected.
“This [situation] isn’t an isolated incident, it happens quite often when new brands come to market, but it’s an exciting next step for BYD in Australia and I think it just means that Australians can enjoy the confidence of a factory-backed operation.”
EVDirect has been importing and distributing BYD models to the local market since 2022, starting with the Atto 3 small-to-mid-size SUV that sold 2113 units by the end of that year.
However, in 2023, with the introduction of the Dolphin hatchback and Seal sedan, as well as Atto 3 sales skyrocketing, BYD ended 2023 with a 12,348 sales total – up 489 per cent compared to the previous year.
Last year, sales grew again, up 64.5 per cent to 20,458 units thanks to the introduction of the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), while the brand’s year-to-date tally in 2025 has surged again, up 94.7 per cent to 15,199 sales to the end of May – largely from high-demand of the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute and new Sealion 7 electric vehicle (EV).
Now however, EVDirect will hand over distributorship to BYD, but will still play a part with the brand it helped popularise in Australia with its partnership with Eagers Automotive to oversee existing outlets.
BYD Australia declined to comment on whether the local operation would start discounting cars – like it has overseas – now that it had full control over supply and sales.
Similarly, representatives from the brand said it was too early to tell if there would be an effect on servicing or maintenance costs.
However, BYD Australia Head of Product Sajid Hasan said it will carry forward EVDirect’s stated mission of bulking out the brand’s local footprint.
“A wider reach, and a wider network,” Hasan said.
“By the end of this year, we want to have around 100 sites, and then we’ll just keep growing from there.”
Other instances where an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) took over control from an independent distributor in Australia include Kia taking over from Ateco in 2006, Volkswagen succeeding Inchcape in 2001, and Fiat and Alfa Romeo going in house in 2012 from Ateco.
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Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
