BYD Atto 2 EV Charging Cable

Boost or Comfort, and what actually separates them

The Atto 2 comes in two forms. Boost carries 51.1 kWh for a quoted 214 miles, with 302 miles in the city cycle, and takes 82 kW on DC for a thirty to eighty per cent stop in half an hour. Comfort carries 64.8 kWh for 261 miles on BYD's own UK figure, and its DC rate nearly doubles to 155 kW, cutting the same stop to 21 minutes.

The AC side is identical. Both are quoted at 11 kW three phase, which means both take the same cable and both behave the same way on a driveway. If you are choosing between the two, the rapid charging difference is the real one; home charging is not a factor in the decision.

The 11 kW rating and what a house actually gives

BYD quotes 11 kW on AC, which is a three phase figure, and the company does not publish what the car draws from a single phase. The working assumption across the industry is 32A and 7.4 kW, and it is the figure the charge tables here use, but it is a calculation rather than something BYD states.

There is a supporting calculation that rules out the alternative. BYD publishes three phase charge times of five hours forty-two minutes for the Boost and seven hours twelve for the Comfort. Divide the packs by those hours and you get roughly nine kilowatts average, which is what an 11 kW charger does once taper is accounted for. A seven kilowatt car would need well over seven hours on the smaller battery. So the 11 kW rating is real, and the only open question is the single phase half of it.

One thing to keep straight: the Australian-market Atto 2 uses a 7 kW single phase charger instead. Same name, different hardware, and its figures do not transfer to a UK car.

How long a full charge takes

Times below are computed from the pack size and the power drawn with 13 per cent allowed for charging losses. Miles per hour is worked at a conservative 3.5 miles per kWh. Columns are the Boost at 51.1 kWh and the Comfort at 64.8.

Ten hours on the Comfort from genuinely empty is the sort of number that alarms people and then never happens. A seven hour off-peak window puts about 180 miles back into either car, which is more than most weeks of commuting require.

Which length for an Atto 2

The inlet sits on the offside front, above the front wheel, which is the opposite end of the car from where most drivers look for it. Park nose towards a wall box and a short lead reaches easily.

The Atto 2 is 4.31 metres long, so with a front offside socket and nose-in parking, five metres is often plenty. Go to ten metres if you reverse onto the drive, if the wall box is on the nearside, or if the charge point is set back from where the car sits. Pace it out from the socket to the flap with the car parked as it always is, then allow a little extra.

How these cables are built

Construction is to IEC 62196-2 with CE marking, IP55 weather protection and a -30C to +50C operating range.

The three pin version is an IEC 62752 unit, CE marked and IP67 sealed, specified -30C to +60C. Two years of manufacturer warranty, free next working day shipping anywhere in the UK, and a month to change your mind.

Related: BYD Atto 3 EV Charging Cable, and BYD charging cables for every other model we cover. For a wall box or public post the lead is the Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable.

BYD Atto 2 charging cable questions

What cable does an Atto 2 need?

A 32A single phase Type 2 to Type 2 cable, on both Boost and Comfort. The two versions share the same onboard charger.

How long does an Atto 2 take to charge at home?

Roughly eight hours for the 51.1 kWh Boost and ten and a half for the 64.8 kWh Comfort, from empty at 7.4 kW.

Does the Comfort charge faster than the Boost?

On a rapid charger yes, 155 kW against 82 kW. At home no, because both use the same AC charger and the Comfort simply has more battery to fill.

Where is the charge socket on an Atto 2?

Offside front, above the front wheel. It is further forward than most people expect, which usually makes a shorter cable workable.