@Phil_12VBatteryFix Switching the W-HUD projection to amber high-contrast mode is a lifesaver when wearing polarised sunglasses on bright mornings!

Plenty of high-mileage BYD Atto 3 private and fleet owners have now crossed 150,000 to 200,000 km on the 60.48 kWh 8-in-1 e-Platform 3.0 drivetrain. Here is a summary of real-world OBD2 SOH readings and mechanical wear items at the 150,000 km mark:

1. LFP Blade Battery State of Health (SOH) at 150,000 km

• Average OBD2 SOH across 28 vehicles: 91.4% to 93.8% (even on vehicles DC fast-charged 4–5 times per week).
• Cell Voltage Delta at rest: Under 12 mV across all 126 series LFP cells, provided the pack receives a 100% AC balance charge at least once every two weeks.

2. Critical Maintenance Tip: Reduction Gearbox Oil

• The factory schedule calls for the first reduction gear oil change (BOT 383 / 75W-80 EV gear oil, ~0.7L) at 40,000 km (24 months).
• Draining the factory fill at 40,000 km removes the initial break-in metallic sheen on the magnetic drain plug; subsequent drains at 120,000 km come out crystal clear.

3. Suspension Bushes

• Front lower control arm rear hydro-bushes start showing minor cracking around 110,000–130,000 km on rough roads (an inexpensive $90 OEM part).

Great peace of mind for anyone planning to keep their Atto 3 for 8–10 years!

Just ticked over 60,000 km in my 2023 BYD Atto 3 Extended Range.

On-Road Impressions, Efficiency & Setup Details

The factory Atlas Batman A51 tyres lasted 42,000 km before getting noisy and losing wet-weather traction on roundabouts. I swapped to 235/50R18 Michelin Primacy 4 ST (18,000 km on them now) and wanted to report three big changes:

1. Wet grip & regenerative braking: Zero front wheelspin pulling out of wet T-junctions.
2. Cabin road noise: Dropped by 2.4 dBA at 100 km/h on coarse-chip country bitumen.
3. Efficiency impact: Rolling resistance is virtually identical—still averaging 14.8 kWh/100km inflated to 38 PSI cold.

Also had a 4-wheel laser alignment done and found the rear toe was slightly out from factory. Worth checking at your next rotation!

Running costs on solar + Amber/Octopus overnight tariff are about $2.40 per 100km vs $16/100km in our old diesel MPV. Paid for its first year of rego in fuel savings within 10 weeks.

One tip if your BYD is on a Novated Lease: NEVER blindly accept the novated lease company's in-house fleet insurance (which often costs $2,200–$2,600/yr)! You have the legal right to buy your own comprehensive policy from Allianz, Budget Direct, or RACV for ~$1,250 and submit the receipt to your novated lease balance to pay for it out of pre-tax salary!

Quick tip if you're buying a cheaper aftermarket V2L plug or modifying a Type 2 plug: the resistance between the CP (Control Pilot) or PP (Proximity Pilot) pin and Earth (PE) on BYD's V2L handshake is 2.0 kΩ (2,000 Ohms)! Many MG4 / Hyundai V2L adapters use 680Ω or 1kΩ and won't trigger discharge on a BYD unless they have a multi-brand selector switch.

Good question on the rear end — with 230kg on the ball and around 120kg of camping gear in the tub (fridge + recovery gear), the rear dropped about 38mm. Because of the independent rear suspension (IRS) with coil springs, the ride over broken bitumen is actually way more compliant than leaf springs, zero chatter. That said, if you're regularly at 240kg+ ball weight + canopy, a set of Pedders or Ironman constant-load 300kg rear coils is 100% worth doing.

For anyone going through their first frosty winter with a BYD Dolphin: what's your routine for clearing ice off the windscreen and stop-start demisting without killing efficiency?

On-Road Impressions, Efficiency & Setup Details

Overall efficiency, cabin insulation, and LFP Blade Battery thermal stability have been rock-solid across both daily city commuting and 110 km/h highway runs.

BYD's model offensive at both ends of the market is ramping up fast: on one side we have the flagship luxury shooting brake Denza Z9 GT, and on the practical family/fleet side we have the BYD eMax 7 (M6) 7-seater electric MPV.

1. Denza Z9 GT (EV & Super DM PHEV)

• e3 Platform (Three Independent Motors): 1 front + 2 rear motors producing up to 710 kW (965 HP) on the pure EV version and 640 kW (870 HP) on the 2.0T PHEV version.
• Rear-Wheel Steering (±10 degrees): Gives a 5.18-metre-long luxury GT car a turning circle of just 4.62 metres (tighter than a BYD Dolphin!) plus "Crab Walk" parallel parking into spaces barely longer than the car.
• Interior: Dual built-in compressor refrigerators (front & rear armrests), Devialet 26-speaker audio, and zero-gravity Nappa leather seats.

2. BYD eMax 7 / M6 (7-Seater Family & Uber XL MPV)

• 71.8 kWh Blade Battery: ~500 km WLTP city / 420 km combined range, available in 6-seat (captain chairs) or 7-seat (2-3-2) layout.
• Huge gap in the AU/UK market right now for an affordable under-$55k AUD / £38k 7-seater EV!

Let's share real-world experiences with BYD Warranty claims across Australia, the UK, and New Zealand — how fast did parts arrive and what was covered without pushback?

As a finance analyst in Sydney who bought a BYD Seal Premium Extended Range on an FBT-Exempt Novated Lease, I still meet heaps of buyers walking into BYD showrooms about to pay cash from their mortgage offset account without realising the Electric Car Discount (Fringe Benefits Tax Exemption) saves them $18,000 to $32,000 over a 4- or 5-year lease!

1. The Simple Numbers (2025–2026 Rules)

All pure battery-electric BYD models priced below the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles ($91,387) — including the Dolphin, Atto 3, Seal (Dynamic, Premium & Performance), and Sealion 7 (Premium & Performance) — are 100% exempt from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT):

1. Zero GST on the Car Purchase Price: You immediately save up to $5,762 in GST upfront off the drive-away price.
2. 100% Pre-Tax Salary Deductions: Every single dollar of the lease finance, registration, comprehensive insurance, tyres, servicing, and charging is deducted from your gross pre-tax salary (saving 32% to 47% income tax + Medicare levy!).

2. Real Worked Example: BYD Seal Premium ($58,900 Drive-Away, $135k Salary, 4-Year Lease)

• Total Out-of-Pocket Impact on Take-Home Pay: $238 / week (including rego, insurance, servicing & tyres!).
• Final Residual Balloon at Year 4 (37.5%): $20,180 (when 4-year-old EVs easily trade/sell above that).
• Net Savings vs Pulling $58,900 Cash From a 6.2% Home Loan Offset Account: +$6,840 per year ahead ($27,360 total savings over 4 years!).

Note on PHEVs: Remember the federal FBT exemption for plug-in hybrids (Shark 6 & Sealion 6) required a binding commitment before 1 April 2025 (unless extended/grandfathered on an existing lease), whereas 100% pure EVs (Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal, Sealion 7) continue to enjoy the full FBT exemption!

@Tania_QueenstownEV Running a 2,000W drop saw and battery chargers off the tub 240V sockets on work sites has completely retired my noisy petrol generator.

@nicola_h Thanks for posting the exact numbers—bookmarked this thread for my upcoming service.

@willowp74 Made reverse-parallel parking in tight spots so easy—the bird's-eye curb view saves the alloy rims every time!

Documenting the exact workshop items and DIY savings at the 10,000 km Check-In service interval across BYD EV and DM-i models:

Key Maintenance Items:

• EV Reduction Gearbox Oil (First change at 24 months / 40,000 km): Uses ~0.6L–0.8L of low-viscosity gear oil. Changing this on schedule removes initial gear-mesh break-in particles from the magnetic drain plug.
• Brake Fluid (DOT 4 LV): Flush every 24 months due to moisture absorption.
• Wiper Blades & Activated Carbon HEPA Filter: Both are 5-minute DIY jobs that save $110+ at the dealership.

@LachlanThomas Great data! My cell delta was 24 mV after three weeks of partial solar-only top-ups, and one overnight 7kW charge to 100% brought cell delta right back down to 6 mV.

@tim_ev_bkk Rear legroom in the second row with the front passenger boss-switch slid forward is limousine-level.