Has BYD buggered up? 150,000km warranty and ICE-style charging costs revealed for Chinese EV brand

One of Australia's most hotly anticipated electric vehicle brands has come under fire from some fans and customers after revealing a new-car warranty that stretches just 160,000kms and servicing costs on-par with some internal combustion vehicles.

BYD - or Build Your Dreams - is the next Chinese brand to launch in Australia, with an all-EV approach that will begin with the Atto 3, which has already attracted in excess of 4000 orders and reservations ahead of its impending local launch.

The brand has just confirmed warranty coverage of the Atto 3, which will span six years or just 150,000km, whichever comes first. In the Chinese brand's defence, BYD's coverage is double that of Tesla - which guarantees its cars for just four years or 80,000kms, whichever comes first, but it pales in comparison to brands like Kia (with its EV6) and Hyundai (with its Ioniq 5).

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The EV6, for example, is covered by Kia's seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with its "high-voltage" bits covered for the same time, but the kilometres are capped at 150,000km. The battery is guaranteed to maintain 70 per cent capacity at the seven-year mark.

The Ioniq 5 is covered by Hyundai's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, too, while the Polestar2 is also five years and unlimited kilometres.

But what has fired up certain BYD fans is the fact that the Atto 3's local distributor, EV Direct, had previously committed to a seven-year warranty.

The move has caused some fans online to threaten to cancel their orders, though to be fair, many more seem more than happy with the offer on the table.

Also under the question is the BYD's service costs, especially given there are less moving parts to deal with when compared to an ICE vehicle, which generally means less expensive maintenance charges.

The Atto 3 will require serving every 12 months or 20,000kms, and you'll be charged $190.37 in year one, $504.25 in year two, $190.37 in year three, $661.32 in year four, $190.37 in year five, $190.37 in year six and $661.32 in year seven under the brand's capped-price servicing program.

That, too, is a little challenging when compared to its key competitors. Kia, for example, says its customers can pre-pay five years of servicing for $1089 - compared to $1736.68 for the BYD. It's also marginally more expensive than the Ioniq 5 ($1684).

The Polestar has the field beat, though, with free servicing and roadside assistance for the first five years while Tesla is a little more mysterious, with requirement-based (rather than time- or kilometre-based) servicing that makes calculating pricing a little less transparent.

The Atto 3 is currently only available in one trim level and costs from $44,381 before on-roads for the 50.1kWh/320km range version, and $47,381 for the 60.4kWh/420km range version.

The BYD Atto 3 is set to feature 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a massive 12.8-inch touchscreen which can rotate for either portrait or landscape orientation, a 5.0-inch digital dash, a panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger, electric tailgate, 360-degree parking camera, synthetic leather interior trim, keyless entry and ignition, and power adjust for the front seats.

Vehicles have now begun arriving in Australia ahead of first deliveries.