34,000 BYD Atto 3 vehicles on Israeli roads are evidence of the two years during which it was the best-selling car in Israel in 2023–24, the first time an electric vehicle held the title. Since then, BYD has faced a wave of thefts that pushed insurance prices sharply higher, until the manufacturer, also for the first time, added a remote digital immobilizer system to the vehicles, and the wave subsided. In 2025, a slightly updated version arrived with an improvement in fast-charging speed from 88 to 110 kW, but most sales were of zero-mileage cars.
Now, almost all inventory has been sold, and in June a truly new version will arrive here, the Atto 3 Evo, which could significantly boost sales of the model and of electric cars in general. In an unusual move, BYD barely changed the exterior design, aside from integrating brake lights into the rear spoiler. The Chinese likely aimed to save on expensive large stamping presses in the production line used to manufacture exterior body parts. The dimensions remain unchanged, but the shift to rear-wheel drive freed up space for a front trunk with a capacity of 101 liters, while the rear trunk grew by 50 liters to 490 liters.
However, underneath the skin the car has undergone a major overhaul: It has moved from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and received a new 800-volt battery system. Capacity has increased from 60.5 to 75 kWh, and fast-charging speed has risen from 110 to 220 kW. The official range has extended from 420 to 510 km, a significant improvement to one of the model’s few drawbacks, and it is now expected to deliver a real-world range of 400–450 km, with about 25 minutes to charge from 10% to 80% at a suitable charging station. The all-wheel-drive version has a shorter official range of 470 km, and both support vehicle-to-load (V2L) external power output. AC charging remains at 11 kW. Battery warranty has been extended to 8 years or 250,000 km, currently the longest in the market.
Performance has improved accordingly: The rear-wheel-drive version now produces 313 hp and 38 kgm, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, with a top speed of 180 km/h. The all-wheel-drive version delivers 449 hp and 56 kgm, cutting another 1.6 seconds for a total of 3.9 seconds, on the way to 200 km/h. There is also a promise of improved ride comfort and handling.
The cabin has been slightly upgraded in material quality and equipment. “Design” is now the base trim, and “Excellence” is the more equipped version, which includes a head-up display for the driver. All versions include Google features such as Google Maps and AI-based voice control.
The Atto 3’s position as Israel’s best-selling electric car this year has been taken by the Deepal 05, which has similar dimensions and starts officially at NIS 150,000 in the base version, but is actually sold at around NIS 160,000 in the better-equipped trim. The price of the Atto 3 Evo is expected to start lower than its previous version, from around NIS 160,000, when it arrives in Israel in June, aiming to return the Atto 3 to its position as the best-selling electric car in the market.