A year after announcing it had secured the regional master dealership for the Chinese new energy vehicle brand BYD, ATL Automotive Group opened the first of two planned showrooms on the island on Friday, June 21 at the AC Hotel Kingston.

“BYD is one of these brands that has extraordinary tech, and as we move more and more towards electric vehicles, they are leading the way as now the largest EV manufacturer in the world,” Adam Stewart, executive chairman, ATL Automotive Group, told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.

Stewart stressed the importance of being a master dealer, ensuring the experience for the buyer, from start to finish, is fully representative of the brand.

“Being a master dealer means that 100 per cent of all sales and service adhere to the standards of that brand,” he explained.

The evidence of this was real for Warren and Tanee Lamey, having just recently taking delivery of their 2024 Yuan Plus and being invited to the showroom opening.

Already in the market for an EV, due to their personal clean energy philosophy and the realisation that an EV would fit their current lifestyle, they began their research only to be led to BYD, which had fortunately landed in Jamaica courtesy the ATL Automotive Group.

“We’ve always been looking at the BYD brand ever since it launched in Jamaica. My husband and I, we did a little bit more research online trying to get more information about it, so when we saw that it was being brought to this market here, we kind of jumped at the opportunity to go ahead and acquire one,” said Tanee.

Two months into ownership of their BYD, the Lameys have been loving it, seeing significant savings in their transportation costs as Spanish Town residents with a minimum daily commute to Kingston.

BYD Jamaica and its two showrooms represents about a US$5.5-million investment in the future of EVs in the Caribbean by the ATL Automotive Group.

The showroom inside the AC Hotel Kingston follows the international trend of EV companies setting up locations in high-traffic areas rather than standalone dealerships.

The staff of four can handle all customer requests with vehicle servicing carried out at the ATL Automotive Oxford Road location.

BYD currently carries six EV models, Dolphin, Yuan Plus, Seal, Tang, Han, and E6, alongside one hybrid, the Song Plus DM-i, which made its début at the showroom opening.

All models come with a six year warranty and an eight-year battery warranty.

“In 2025 we will have 10 different BYD models, including a pickup,” said Stewart.

A second showroom is slated for the western end of the island later in the year at ATL Automotive’s Bogue City Centre location.