SYDNEY, July 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BYD, the world's leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles, and Smart, Australia's leading salary packaging and novated leasing provider, today announced a strategic partnership to make electric vehicle (EV) ownership more accessible and affordable to Australians.
As the strategic partner to BYD and its premium brand DENZA, Smart provides access to more than 2.5 million Australians employed by Smart's clients across the government, healthcare, education, corporate and not-for-profit sectors. This creates a direct pathway for eligible employees to consider a BYD or DENZA new energy vehicle through a Smart novated lease at the point of purchase, while helping customers understand affordability, tax savings and total cost of ownership.
The partnership provides customers access to specific tax savings for EVs through the government's electric car discount, and comes as EV adoption continues to accelerate in Australia.
In June 2026, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 23 per cent of the new vehicle market, according to official VFACTS data. BYD Australia's growth has been rapid, with year-to-date sales at the end of June reaching 52,335 vehicles, more than double the figure recorded at the same point last year.
As Australia's largest salary packaging and novated leasing provider, Smart supports more than 580,000 salary packaging customers and has more than 120,000 novated lease and fleet vehicles under management. The new collaboration with Smart will give BYD customers access at the point of sale to salary packaging support and potential tax advantages available through a novated lease, including those available under current government policy settings.
BYD Australia General Manager, Wing You, said:
"As BYD continues to grow in Australia, we are focused on making new energy vehicle ownership as simple and accessible as possible for our customers."
"Partnering with Smart allows us to integrate novated leasing support into the dealership experience, helping customers understand affordability, savings and ownership options at the point of sale."
Smart's Group Executive, Novated Leasing and Electric Vehicle Services, Sid Jha, said:
"This partnership brings together two market leaders with a shared ambition to accelerate Australia's transition to electric vehicles. BYD has transformed the Australian market by making EVs more accessible, and Smart can now help remove another major barrier by integrating novated leasing into the customer journey."
"Smart reaches more than 2.5 million Australians through employers nationally. By integrating salary packaging into the BYD customer journey, we can remove friction at a critical point in the purchase process and give customers a clearer view of cost, savings and ownership options before they make a decision."
"For eligible Australians, this is about making EV ownership more attainable, not simply offering another way to finance a car. We can help customers understand whether a BYD through a Smart novated lease works for them, compare the cost of owning and running an EV, and give them the confidence to make the switch to electric."
Contact
Michael Fairbairn | michael.fairbairn@smartgroup.com.au | 0448 524 731
Paul Ellis | paul.ellis@byd.com | 0455 344 431
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/994dc6e1-43f8-4082-b8cf-2fecf9fdd180
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/198dba46-6337-4df9-b6c7-a85d30e60858
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