BYD Atto 8: seven-seat electric SUV charges 10-97% in nine minutes

BYD has unveiled the Atto 8, a large seven-seat electric SUV that it says can charge from 10% to 97% in nine minutes. Revealed at the Paris motor show on 12 October 2026 and reported by Fleet News, it becomes BYD’s electric flagship in Europe when it goes on sale in the first quarter of 2027. It has a 115kWh battery, up to 405 miles of range and, in its top version, 764hp.

The Atto 8 takes aim at the big three-row electric SUVs that UK families have been buying, including the Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Volvo EX90. Its headline feature, though, is BYD’s Flash Charging, which depends on BYD’s own charging network. UK prices and dates have not been announced, and neither has the number of Flash Chargers coming to Britain. Our guide to BYD Flash Charging in the UK covers what we know about the network.

What is the BYD Atto 8?

The Atto 8 is a full-size, seven-seat electric SUV that sits at the top of BYD’s European range, above the Atto 3 and Sealion 7. At 5,040mm long, 1,996mm wide and 1,760mm tall, with a 2,950mm wheelbase, it is just over five metres long.

It is not a brand-new car worldwide. In China it is sold as the BYD Tang L, and in Australia a similar car is sold as the Sealion 8, but only as a plug-in hybrid. Europe gets the fully electric version, with a three-row 2+3+2 seating layout. In China the Tang L EV is sold only with five seats, according to CarNewsChina.

How powerful is it and how far does it go?

There are two versions, both with the same 115kWh battery. The rear-wheel-drive car has the longer range; the all-wheel-drive car has huge power.

BYD Atto 8	Design RWD	Excellence AWD
Motors	One, rear	Two, front and rear
Power	462PS (340kW)	775PS (570kW, 764hp)
Torque	365Nm	775Nm
0-62mph	8.0 seconds	4.6 seconds
WLTP range	Up to 405 miles	Up to 374 miles
Battery	115kWh	115kWh
Speakers	10	21-speaker DiSound

BYD says the Excellence AWD is the most powerful seven-seat SUV in Europe. It is not the quickest, though: CarNewsChina points out that the Audi SQ7 reaches 62mph faster, in 4.1 seconds. The top speed is 240km/h, about 149mph.

For most families, the rear-drive Design is the more interesting car. A 405-mile official range is among the longest of any seven-seat EV, and eight seconds to 62mph is plenty for a family SUV.

How does Flash Charging work?

Flash Charging is BYD’s ultra-high-power charging system, paired with its second-generation Blade Battery. The Atto 8 is the first BYD in Europe to get both. BYD’s claims are:

• 10% to 70% in five minutes.
• 10% to 97% in nine minutes.
• 20% to 97% in 12 minutes at -30°C.

Those are remarkable numbers. Most large electric SUVs take 20 to 30 minutes to go from 10% to 80% on the fastest public chargers. Charging to 97% is also unusual, because most EVs slow down sharply after 80%.

The catch is that you need a BYD Flash Charging station to get those times. BYD plans to install 3,000 of them across Europe by the end of 2027, according to The Car Expert. It has not said how many will be in the UK. On a normal 150kW or 350kW rapid charger, the Atto 8 will charge more slowly, because those chargers cannot deliver the power it needs for nine-minute charging.

Is the battery safe to charge that fast?

The Atto 8 uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade Battery, according to CarNewsChina. LFP chemistry is known for being robust and stable, which is one reason BYD is comfortable with very fast charging. LFP also tends to cope well with regular charging to 100%, which suits a car designed to fill to 97%. The trade-off is that LFP stores less energy for its weight than some other chemistries, which is partly why the Atto 8 needs such a big 115kWh pack.

How practical is it?

It is a genuine seven-seater with space for luggage. With all three rows in use, the boot holds 270 litres. Fold the second and third rows and that rises to 1,960 litres. There is also a 136-litre front boot under the bonnet, which opens with a double tap, and a power tailgate that can be opened with a projection on the ground.

Inside, Fleet News lists a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, a 26-inch head-up display and a 15.6-inch central touchscreen with Google built-in, including Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Play Store. Standard equipment includes:

• Leather upholstery and a panoramic glass roof.
• Heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, and the same for the outer second-row seats.
• Three-zone climate control and wireless phone charging.
• A small compartment that can chill or warm food and drinks.

How does it compare with its rivals?

The Atto 8 joins a busy class of big electric seven-seaters. Its strengths are range and charging speed; its unknowns are price and how it drives.

	BYD Atto 8 Design	Main rivals
Battery	115kWh	Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Volvo EX90 all offer large batteries
Range	Up to 405 miles	Check each rival’s current WLTP figure; few seven-seaters pass 400 miles
Fastest charging claim	10-97% in 9 minutes on Flash Charging	Rivals quote 10-80% times of 20 minutes or more
UK price	Not announced	All on sale now

Treat that rivals column as a broad guide; check each car’s current spec before you buy. Our guide to seven-seat electric cars has more detail on what is available now.

How much will the BYD Atto 8 cost?

BYD has not announced prices for the UK or Europe. For context, CarNewsChina reports that BYD’s current European seven-seater, the Tang EV, was originally priced at €75,000 in Germany but has since been reduced to €47,990. In China, the Tang L EV costs between 222,800 and 272,800 yuan.

BYD has priced its UK cars aggressively so far. It was the UK’s second-biggest car brand in September, with a record 20,140 registrations, as we cover in our BYD September sales report. If it follows the same approach, the Atto 8 could undercut the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90, but that is our expectation, not a confirmed price.

Will it get the Electric Car Grant?

Almost certainly not. The Electric Car Grant has not applied to cars built in China, and it is limited to cars below a set price. A large seven-seat EV with a 115kWh battery is unlikely to fall under the cap even if it qualified on factory standards. Our Electric Car Grant guide explains the rules.

Could tariffs affect the Atto 8?

Possibly. The UK is weighing whether to match EU tariffs on Chinese-built EVs as part of a deal to join the EU’s Made in Europe scheme, which we cover in our Made in Europe report. Any tariff would take time, likely more than a year, so it is unlikely to affect first deliveries in 2027. BYD is also expanding factories in Europe, starting with Hungary, which could change where future cars are built.

How does BYD’s Flash Charging network compare with today’s chargers?

BYD’s charging stations are designed to deliver far more power than most public chargers in the UK, using the second-generation Blade Battery’s ability to accept very high currents. Denza, BYD’s premium brand, quotes up to 1,500kW through a single cable for the Chinese-market connector. Most UK ultra-rapid chargers offer 150kW to 350kW. BYD plans 3,000 Flash Charging stations across Europe by the end of 2027, but has not said how many will be in the UK, which is the key question for buyers who want the headline charging times.

BYD has also said France is on its shortlist for a further European factory, part of a plan to add two more European plants.

BYD’s new factory in Hungary could supply some European models in future, though the Atto 8 is expected to come from China at first.

Our view

On paper, the Atto 8 is the most impressive large electric SUV BYD has brought to Europe. A 405-mile range, seven real seats, a front boot and a long list of standard equipment cover what families want. The charging claim is extraordinary, but it will only matter in the UK if BYD builds Flash Chargers on the routes you drive.

Two things will decide whether it works here: price, and how many Flash Chargers arrive in Britain. If BYD gets both right, the Atto 8 could do to the big seven-seat class what the Jaecoo 7 has done to family SUVs. We will update this story when UK details are confirmed.