BYD Atto 3 EV Faces Euro NCAP Rating Setback

MILAN (Reuters) – Europe's car safety agency has issued a "not recommended" rating to the driver assistance system used in BYD's Atto 3 EV, posing a challenge for the Chinese automaker's expansion in Europe.

The model received a score of zero in driver monitoring features and showed poor performance in preventing undertakings at speeds exceeding 90 kilometers per hour (56 miles per hour), according to the report released on October 23 by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

Despite Euro NCAP ratings not being binding and not certifying vehicles for road use, European consumers focus on these findings, prompting carmakers to market favorable ratings aggressively.

Euro NCAP's assessment indicated that Atto 3's driver assistance system did not fulfill minimum safety standards required to avoid collisions in critical situations.

BYD has not provided a comment on the report.

Chinese automakers, including BYD, have been emphasizing high Euro NCAP ratings to endorse their products and attract European consumers. Notably, BYD previously celebrated the Atto 3 as one of the safest models when it was awarded a maximum five-star rating by Euro NCAP in 2023.

In contrast, Euro NCAP awarded high ratings to the driver assistance systems of several European models tested, including the BMW i5, Mercedes-Benz C-class, Volkswagen ID.7, and Volvo EC40.