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128 - We drive the BYD Atto 1, and callers all get new cars!

128 - We drive the BYD Atto 1, and callers all get new cars!

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About this episode

Dash cams and rear visibility kick things off, then the conversation turns to why EV charging is rising—especially as plug-in hybrid owners start using their electric mode. Callers weigh in on EV misconceptions and debate objections. The hosts then shift to BYD Atto 1 ownership and delivery: why they chose BYD, how fast allocations sold, and what it’s like day-to-day (city practicality, rear-seat comfort, and ADAS quirks). Home charging plans with solar and time-of-use rates round out the discussion.

Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Company

NRMA

"I was at the Today Show on Monday and Peter Coorey from NRMA, yep, Motoring and Services, was there back to talk about petrol prices..."

NRMA is a big Australian motoring group. Here, they’re mentioned as running an EV charging network, so they’re involved in how people actually use chargers.

Term

petrol prices

"Peter Coorey from NRMA... was there back to talk about petrol prices when they were going up back in the start of July."

Petrol prices are how much gasoline costs. When petrol gets more expensive, people pay more attention to alternatives like charging an EV or using the electric mode in a hybrid.

Term

charging network

"because NRMA Motoring and Services runs the charging network, he said to me, we also noticed a huge increase in the usage of the charges."

A charging network is the set of EV chargers in an area (or across a country) that work together. It usually includes how you pay and how you access the chargers.

Term

plug-in hybrid

"he put a lot of that down to plug-in hybrids. So a lot of people who own plug-in hybrids suddenly going, actually, I should probably, yes, and take advantage."

A plug-in hybrid is a car that uses both electricity and petrol. If you don’t plug it in regularly, it mostly behaves like a petrol car instead of using its battery.

Car

Sealion Cline 7

"A couple of weeks ago, we pulled the trigger and bought a, I'll put the money down on a BYD C-Line 7, which I'm super excited about. Nice."

The Sealion 7 is an electric car made by BYD. The podcast mentions it because the hosts are talking about buying one and what made them choose it. It’s an example of the kind of EV people consider when deciding on a new car.

Concept

less expensive Chinese brands

"Yeah, we got really interested by the, obviously, the less expensive Chinese brands that were coming into the market."

They’re basically saying they looked at cheaper EVs from Chinese brands. The idea is getting lots of features without paying as much as more established brands.

Concept

brand certainty

"we had that brand certainty that they weren't necessarily just going to pull up stumps after a few years of poor sales or something like that,"

“Brand certainty” means feeling confident the car company will stick around and keep supporting the cars. The hosts are basically saying they paid extra to avoid the risk of a brand vanishing after poor sales.

Concept

dealer network

"as well as a dealer network in market and all those sort of things, you know, just a little bit more confidence."

A “dealer network” is where you can go to buy the car and get it serviced. The hosts are saying that having dealers around makes it less risky to buy from a brand.

Brand

Hyundai

"Because, you know, that's not a lot of time. No, but, you know, you think when Hyundai came in and then later on Kia came in,"

Hyundai is a big car company. The hosts are using it as an example of how a newer EV brand can become trusted after it’s been around long enough.

Brand

Kia

"you think when Hyundai came in and then later on Kia came in, and now we look at those as sort of legacy established brands"

Kia is a well-known car brand. They’re mentioning it to say that after a while, people start trusting EV makers more once they’ve proven themselves.

Topic

dealer experience

"in the last few months, actually, of dealer experiences, especially with BYD. Can you give us an insight into how you,"

They’re talking about what the buying process feels like at a dealership—like waiting for someone to help you and getting a test drive. It matters because that’s a big part of buying an EV.

Place

BYD Paramata

"So we got there at quarter past 9 of BYD Paramata, and we waited 15 minutes, then we waited another 15 minutes,"

BYD Paramata is the name of the BYD dealership the speaker visited. They bring it up because it’s where the delays happened before they got a test drive.

Car

Byd Sharks

"...eness. It's a weird thing, but even the number of sharks around with the big BYD logo on the back,"

The BYD Shark 6 is an electric car from BYD. The podcast is mentioning it because of how it looks, including the branding on the back. It’s more about the car’s appearance than how it drives.

Car

Rolls-Royce Phantom

"or to talk about other connective issues or Phantom Autonomous Braking or this, that or the other"

The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a very high-end luxury car. The podcast mentions it because it has advanced safety features and connected technology, and those can sometimes have issues. “Autonomous braking” is a system that helps slow the car if it detects a potential problem.

Term

ADAS things

"remember that safety systems, safety alerts all these ADAS things"

ADAS are safety features in newer cars that help you avoid crashes. They can include alerts and automatic interventions, and they’re becoming standard across many brands.

Term

phantom braking

"you may get some of those things Phantom braking, mate"

Phantom braking is when your car brakes by itself even though there’s nothing in front of it that should require braking. It usually happens because the sensors get confused.

Term

side street

"it was trying to suggest that a car was going to pull out of a side street"

A side-street situation is when another car could enter your lane from a road next to you. Driver-assistance systems sometimes warn you in these situations—even if the threat isn’t real—because they’re trying to prevent a collision.

Car

Ssangyong Musso

"we're getting there because we've got that KGM Musso we spoke to a caller about a few weeks ago"

The Ssangyong Musso is a pickup-type vehicle. The podcast mentions it because they previously talked about it with a caller. It’s included to help explain what people are looking for in a vehicle, even when the main focus is electric cars.

Car

KGM Musso

"we're getting there because we've got that KGM Musso we spoke to a caller about a few weeks ago that's a full electric dual-cab youth"

The KGM Musso is a pickup truck. In this segment they’re talking about an electric version with two rows of seats (a dual-cab), which means the battery has to fit without ruining the space for passengers and cargo.

Term

dual cab

"that's a full electric dual-cab youth Toyota do have a Hilux all-electric dual-cab youth"

“Dual-cab” means the pickup has two rows of seats, so it can carry more people. For an electric pickup, that also affects where the battery can fit.

Car

Toyota Hilux all-electric dual-cab

"Toyota do have a Hilux all-electric dual-cab youth it'll be small quantities"

Toyota’s Hilux is a popular pickup, and they’re discussing an all-electric dual-cab version. A dual-cab means it has two rows of seats, so the battery has to be fitted in a way that still keeps the truck usable.

Term

range

"I don't think it'll be well received because I think it probably won't have range and it's probably not got electric credentials"

Range is how far an electric car can go before it needs charging. They’re suggesting the electric pickup might not go far enough for buyers.

Term

leaf springs

"it's just leaf springs, the wheels and the shazzy that's where the battery needs to be"

Leaf springs are a traditional suspension setup used on many trucks. In this discussion, they’re saying the space under the truck is taken up by the suspension, so that affects where the battery can be mounted.

Term

big battery

"and still fitting in a big battery to allow you then to go cab-shazzy style"

In an electric car, the battery stores the energy. A bigger battery usually means you can drive farther, but it can be harder to fit neatly into the car.

Car

Tesla

"how did you John arrive at the Tesla was that always something you had in mind something you admired from a distance or was it the result of test driving other vehicles"

They’re talking about choosing a Tesla as their electric car. The question is whether it was something they always wanted or something they decided after trying other cars.

Car

Kia EV5

"other cars we test drove an EV5 I think"

The Kia EV5 is an electric SUV. The podcast brings it up because they tested it by driving it themselves. That helps them talk about how it feels and works in everyday use.

Term

trickle charge

"you've got solar and batteries so you can trickle charge as you need on your own power choice which is awesome"

Trickle charging means charging your EV slowly using a low power level. It’s useful when you’re parked for a long time and just want to add a bit of charge gradually.

Term

public charger

"and if you do decide to take longer trips or whatever and you get home and it's it's a much deeper charge you could obviously go to a public charger"

A public charger is a charging station you can use outside your home. People use them when they need more charge than they can get from home charging.

Place

Oren Park

"I'm at Oren Park and all the new shopping area down up there"

Oren Park is the area the speaker is in. They’re mentioning it to show there’s a Supercharger close to where they live.

Term

EV

"but being with the golf [1339.2s] war and all that with the oil prices [1341.6s] everybody's being buying [1344.4s] electric vehicles [1345.4s] what color did you go for"

Electric vehicles are cars that run on electricity from a battery. Instead of using petrol or diesel, they use an electric motor to move the car.

Term

Ute

"[1354.0s] and so I'm assuming then if there was an electric [1356.4s] ute that might be the thing that replaces [1358.6s] the other car in the driveway John [1361.2s] yeah I would really [1362.7s] want a single cab but that's probably going to come"

A “ute” is a pickup-style vehicle with a cargo bed. People use it for work and for everyday stuff, and some are now available as electric versions.

Term

single cab

"[1361.2s] yeah I would really [1362.7s] want a single cab but that's probably going to come [1364.8s] eventually [1365.2s] and with the aluminum tri on it [1368.3s] I mean [1370.3s] if I could say [1372.0s] usually the single cab utes"

A “single cab” is a truck/ute with just the front seats. There aren’t rear passenger doors, so it’s generally more about carrying stuff than passengers.

Car

Kia EV3

"what'd you get Kia EV3 nice great little car"

The Kia EV3 is an electric car. In the podcast, someone says they got one and describes it as a small, good car. The point is to share what it’s like to live with an EV in normal day-to-day driving.

Term

50-100km in the tank

"50-100km in the tank to get back to work sort of thing it's a company car"

That’s the distance the EV can drive on its battery. They’re basically saying you need enough range to do the commute and still have a buffer.

Term

solar

"if you're getting solar and the battery you could maybe look at having"

Here, “solar” means panels on the house that make electricity from sunlight. The idea is to use that home-made power for charging when possible.

Term

Granny charger

"if you're even using the granny charger at least during the day you may be getting the free energy from your solar"

A “granny charger” is a slow, everyday way to charge an EV using a regular home power outlet. It usually takes longer than a dedicated home charger.

Term

overnight cheaper

"and then if you're on a plan you might get the overnight cheaper cheaper cost of as well"

Electricity can be cheaper at certain times of day. They’re saying you might save money by charging during the cheaper overnight hours.

Term

company charger

"a company charger when you say company your company's charger yep yeah yeah"

A “company charger” is a charging point you can use at work. If your workplace has one, you can charge your EV during the day instead of relying only on public chargers.

Term

publicly

"so if you were to charge publicly and then you've got a receipt"

“Charging publicly” means using a public charging station that anyone can access. These chargers are usually in public places and can cost more or have different rules than charging at home or work.

Concept

overnight charging

"so I'd assume you'll be home in the afternoon evening and then charging overnight ... you'll get that back overnight not a problem granny charger"

“Overnight charging” means plugging in your EV at night so it’s ready for the next day. It matters because slow chargers may not add enough range in the time you have.

Term

wall charger

"you'll get that back with a wall charger if you've got a 7 kilowatt charger you'll get that back overnight ... the expense of putting in a wall charger"

A “wall charger” is a dedicated charger mounted at your house. It usually charges faster than the basic slow charger, so you can put more driving range back overnight.

Term

7 kilowatt charger

"with a wall charger if you've got a 7 kilowatt charger you'll get that back overnight"

A “7 kilowatt charger” is a charger rated to deliver 7 kW of power. More power generally means faster charging, so you can add more range overnight.

Term

charging rate

"charging rate so that you can get a really cheap rate"

Charging rate is how fast your EV charges. Think of it like the “speed” of the electricity going into the battery.

Term

kilowatts

"you like 8 cents a kilowatt it'll be pretty cheap like it'll be cost you like 5 bucks"

A kilowatt is a measure of how much power the charger can send to the car. Higher kW usually means faster charging (if the car supports it).

Term

OCCP

"they wanted that special charger that they can control OCCP yeah and"

OCCP sounds like a specific “charging control” system or standard that lets the charger and the app/utility coordinate. It’s basically how the charger is told what to do.

Term

protocol

"OCCP yeah and protocol yeah"

A protocol is the “language” chargers use to talk to other systems. It helps decide how charging is controlled and scheduled.

Company

Bunnings

"I've been looking around Bunnings have got one of their home brand Dita I think there's about 300-400 dollars"

Bunnings is a big store in Australia where people buy home and hardware items. Here, it’s mentioned as a place to get a home EV charger.

Brand

Dita

"Bunnings have got one of their home brand Dita I think there's about 300-400 dollars"

Dita is the name of the charger brand the speaker says Bunnings sells. It’s an example of a home EV charger you can buy locally.

Term

installation

"[1840.5s] installation [1841.1s] in addition but the"

Installation is the upfront cost and work needed to get an EV charger set up properly. It can include electrical work, not just buying the charger.

Concept

offset of speed versus efficiency

"the offset of speed versus efficiency is why a wall charger is a better option mate I'll be honest"

They’re talking about a trade-off: charging faster doesn’t always mean you use electricity in the most efficient way. The best choice depends on the total cost, not just how quickly the car fills up.

Concept

calculations about what it truly costs

"what you probably need to do is do some calculations about what it truly costs because it's not petrol right filling up"

They’re saying you should do the numbers to figure out the real cost of charging. Don’t just assume it’s cheaper—compare home charging versus other options.

Term

charging at home

"[2187.5s] that's what a lot of people say because they're trying to do the whole charging at home situation [2190.7s] whereas he's like [2191.6s] we've got solar and battery coming on but I don't want to charge here"

“Charging at home” means plugging your EV in at your house to recharge it. It’s usually easier and can be cheaper than using public charging stations.

Concept

company car

"[2194.1s] but I want the company to pay [2195.8s] well look if it's a company car it's a fair call mate [2198.0s] 100% if it's in your deal"

A “company car” is a car you get through your employer. Here, the point is that the employer may cover the cost of charging, so the driver doesn’t have to pay for it personally at home.

Car

BYD ATTO 1

"now speaking of cars [2202.8s] we've had the pleasure of driving [2204.1s] the BYD ATTO 1 [2206.6s] for a little while [2217.8s] this was going to be Australia's cheapest electric car"

The BYD ATTO 1 is a small electric car made by BYD. The hosts are talking about it mainly because it’s priced as one of the cheapest EVs in Australia, and they compare the cheaper “essential” version to the more expensive “premium” one.

Term

Drive Away

"[2228.5s] it's a $23,000 car for the essential [2231.9s] about $27,000 drive away [2233.7s] $27,000 for the premium"

“Drive away” is the price you pay so you can drive the car off the lot. It usually includes the extra government and registration costs, not just the sticker price.

Car

Kia Picanto

"and a Kia Picanto is very [2289.5s] fuel efficient, right? It's not like it's burning through [2291.5s] a V8 engine, right?"

The Kia Picanto is a small car designed for city driving. Here, they’re comparing it to an electric car by talking about how efficient it is for everyday, short-distance use.

Term

V8 engine

"fuel efficient, right? It's not like it's burning through [2291.5s] a V8 engine, right?"

A V8 engine is a type of gasoline engine with eight cylinders. It usually drinks more fuel than smaller engines, so it’s brought up here to highlight the efficiency difference versus EVs.

Term

k-roll

"it's like an older [2319.1s] this one's got like a 280 odd k-roll [2321.0s] it says 310 on the website but let's call it [2323.5s] 280, for someone"

They’re talking about the car’s range—how far it can go before you need to charge it again. That matters most for people who only drive short distances around town.

Term

5-star Ancap Safety 2

"it's a 5-star Ancap Safety 2 [2410.9s] so that's tick that box as well"

ANCAP is an organization that tests cars for crash safety. A “5-star” rating means the car scored very highly in those safety tests. The host is saying their car achieved that top rating.

Term

driver attention camera

"it does have a driver attention camera [2414.4s] it does, yeah, in fact, I [2416.1s] copped me a couple of times"

A driver attention camera is a camera inside the car that watches the driver’s eyes and face. If it thinks you’re getting sleepy or distracted, it can warn you. In this case, it even noticed when the host was yawning.

Term

yawn warning

"I yawned probably twice [2425.3s] and a picture of a coffee cup came up [2427.7s] so no, you know what I noticed about that? [2429.9s] it's not a loud warning though [2431.7s] you notice the cup but it's not [2433.6s] an over-annoyingly aggressive [2435.7s] because I get the yawn warning when I'm singing"

A yawn warning is a car alert that triggers when the system thinks you’re getting sleepy. In this segment, the host says the warning shows up when they yawn, but it’s not overly harsh. They also mention it can happen in other situations too.

Term

Android Auto

"it didn't automatically connect to Android Auto ... and Android Auto didn't automatically start up despite the settings on the phone"

Android Auto is a way to use your Android phone in your car. It shows navigation and some apps on the car’s screen, and it can connect through a cable or wirelessly depending on the setup.

Term

Bluetooth

"it was paired via Bluetooth ... and Android Auto didn't automatically start up despite the settings"

Bluetooth is the wireless connection your phone uses to pair with the car. It’s commonly used for hands-free calling and audio, and here it’s part of the setup that didn’t lead to Android Auto starting automatically.

Term

Apple CarPlay

"Apple CarPlay didn't have an issue at all ... wirelessly"

Apple CarPlay lets you connect an iPhone to your car so you can use maps and other supported apps on the car’s display. In this segment, they’re saying CarPlay worked smoothly where Android Auto didn’t.

Term

wirelessly

"Apple CarPlay didn't have an issue at all ... wirelessly"

Here, “wirelessly” means the phone connected to the car without plugging in a cable. That can make setup easier, but it still depends on whether the car and phone are configured to start the system automatically.

Term

wireless charger

"there was a wireless charger ... right there in the centre"

A wireless charger is a pad in the car where you place your phone to charge it without plugging in a cable. In this clip, it’s mentioned as being in the center area where the phone would sit.

Term

start button

"[2574.4s] and it starts up [2575.2s] it's got a start button [2576.6s] and so even when you jump out"

A start button is a button you press to turn the car on, instead of using a key in an ignition. It’s common in modern cars, including EVs, and makes starting feel quick and simple.

Term

stop button

"[2576.6s] and so even when you jump out [2578.7s] it stops but it's got a stop button [2580.0s] so make your mind up, you've got both choices"

A stop button is how you turn the car off. In this case, the car has both a start button and a stop button, so you have to decide which one you want to use.

Term

boot floor

"the boot size is small but under the boot floor there is storage for cables and things"

The “boot floor” is the panel inside the trunk under the main storage area. On this EV, there’s extra space underneath it for things like charging cables.

Term

drop the seats

"you can drop the seats by day so if I wanted to put the golf clubs in it I'd have to drop the back seats down"

“Drop the seats” means folding the back seats down to make more room for luggage. They’re saying you can fit bigger items, but the space is still limited in a small car.

Concept

dealership appeal

"in a dealership this car draws you in ... and then you go, ah"

“Dealership appeal” here refers to how a car’s in-person presentation and value story can pull shoppers in before they fully evaluate specs. The hosts connect it to the EV’s practical pitch and the buyer’s quick reaction once they realize what the range/price means.

Car

Dolphin

"and then you go, ah ... so $280 range but for a bit of extra money ... that's why I think the Dolphin is still selling well"

The BYD Dolphin is another small electric car from BYD. In this discussion, it’s brought up as a popular option because some shoppers want something that feels like better value than the Atto 1.

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