Deliveries of the all-electric BYD Atto 3 have been paused in Australia because of a compliance issue that needs to be resolved.
BYD Automotive sent a letter through local distributor EVDirect to local customers late last week informing them that deliveries would be delayed for seven days commencing October 21.
Safety testing conducted on the Atto 3 concluded that it has breached Australian motor vehicle compliance regulations because the rear middle seat is missing an appropriate top tether to use for a child seat. This revelation came as the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) withheld its five-star safety rating for the EV to allow for a review by federal regulators about its compliance.
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“BYD Automotive regret to inform that we will be pausing deliveries of the Atto 3 for seven days commencing 21 October 2022,” EVDirect wrote in the letter. “BYD and EV Direct are both working with the (federal regulator) regarding a technical matter. The matter is related to the use of a child seat if positioned in the centre of the middle rear seat, and the appropriate location for an anchorage point to enable the child seat to be secured. BYD understands that for the vast majority of customers this may not be of relevance, however as safety is and always will be our number one priority, we continue to work with the (federal regulator) to satisfy their request.”
The delivery pause comes just a week after BYD issued a safety bulletin to Atto 3 customers advising them against using the middle rear seat to install a child seat.
Drive notes that there may be a provision for a top tether behind the seat-back fabric but says this would not comply with Australian Design Rules.
