Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
BYD Korea seeks trustworthy growth with strong after-sales policy
Mechanics at BYD Korea inspect the Atto 3 electric SUV at the company’s service center in central Seoul. Courtesy of BYD Korea
By Lee Min-hyung
BYD Korea is adopting a series of strong after-sales strategies — rarely seen among other imported carmakers — as part of its efforts to achieve sustainable growth by building trust with local customers, the Chinese carmaker said Thursday.
The brand made its debut in Korea in January with the launch of its globally recognized Atto 3 electric SUV model. The carmaker has since focused on expanding repair and maintenance infrastructure as a top priority, rather than sticking to sales growth.
The carmaker offers a 150,000-kilometer or six-year warranty on its vehicles, and the figure is generally above that offered by most other imported auto brands.
The electric vehicle (EV) maker is also placing a strategic focus on easing lingering safety concerns of EVs by expanding the number of its service centers nationwide.
The company opened 12 repair centers when it began operations in Korea, and the number has since grown to 14 nationwide. The automaker plans to establish 25 official service centers across the country by the end of this year.
Notably, the facilities are evenly set up all across the nation, unlike most other foreign auto brands, which tend to concentrate their service centers in Seoul and its surrounding areas, where demand for imported cars remains high.
A BYD Korea service center in the nation's southern port city of Busan / Courtesy of BYD Korea
“The decision reflects on our willingness to achieve balanced and sustainable growth in Korea by treating all our customers on an equal footing,” a BYD Korea official said.
Regarding concerns of high replacement costs for EV batteries, the company set its price at a reasonable level. Batteries are the most expensive part of EVs, so BYD Korea offers replacement services at a “remarkably” lower price than most other EVs from other brands, the carmaker said.
“Korean customers pay attention to auto brands’ sincerity for the local market, along with their vehicle prices and performance,” said Cho In-chul, BYD Korea's managing director of passenger vehicles.
“BYD Korea aims to position itself as a partner for co-prosperity in the Korean auto market by building long-term trust and partnerships, rather than focusing on short-term sales figures.”
BYD Korea recently introduced its second model for local customers, the Seal sedan. The vehicle is one of the carmaker’s most popular models, along with the Atto 3 SUV.
Unlike the entry-level Atto 3 EV, the Seal comes with more luxurious and dynamic features in its driving performance and interior. The Seal is capable of going from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in only 3.8 seconds.