Customs Held 2,000 BYDs Over 'Wrong' Motor Ratings — Tax Dodge or Honest Mix-Up?

Sri Lanka Customs has been detaining shipments of BYD EVs since mid-2025 over a dispute about declared motor power. Importers listed motors as 100kW or 49kW on some Atto 3 units; Customs says independent testing points closer to 150kW and 70kW, figures that push the cars into a steeper duty bracket. With roughly 2,000 vehicles held and a reported Rs 4 billion in disputed tax at stake, BYD's monthly registrations reportedly fell from over 1,500 units in September to around 500 in October as the standoff dragged on, and the brand has since been pushing hybrids instead. One side says this is a plain case of under-declaring to dodge tax, and Customs is right to hold firm no matter how popular the brand is. The other side says Customs is moving the goalposts after the vehicles already passed approval, punishing ordinary buyers and scaring off the exact EV investment the government claims to want. Who's actually in the wrong here? And if you've ordered, bought or driven a BYD recently, has this dispute changed your delivery time, price or trust in the brand? මෙය බද්ධ වංචාවක්ද, නැත්නම් කස්ටම්ස් නිකරුණේ කරදර කරනවාද?