BYD Seal: another rival for the Tesla Model 3


The Chinese manufacturer Build Your Dream (BYD) is launching its offensive in Europe with the presentation of not three new electric vehicles, as previously announced, but four. The Han sedans, the large Tang SUV and the Atto 3 SUV were well planned, but the surprise comes with another sedan, dubbed the Seal. An interesting surprise in more ways than one since it is officially designated by its manufacturer as a Tesla Model 3 killer. Obviously, this is not the first time that we have heard of such an inclination, but with regard to the Seal, it could be a little different.

© David Lefevre / Digital

According to the magazine Car News China, pre-sales of the BYD Seal began on May 20, 2022. And according to domestic media in the country, sales reached 110,000 units in one month, which is high, especially since the planned annual production capacity of the Seal was 60,000. So it looks like BYD underestimated customer engagement.

Priced between $31,180 and $38,600 in China, the Seal is the production version of BYD’s Ocean X, a concept car unveiled in 2021. It is therefore an electric four-door sedan with a dynamic design, underlined by a long curved roofline, a sculpted front end and a prominent rear diffuser. On the tailgate, the name of the brand is written in full.

byd seal sedan electric

© David Lefevre / Digital

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The car measures 4.80m in length, 1.87m in width and 1.46m in height, with a wheelbase of 2.92m. It’s longer and taller than a Tesla Model 3, but smaller than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 in both cases.

Beneath the body is BYD’s e-Platform 3.0, which uses the battery as an integral part of the car’s structure to improve rigidity and, therefore, dynamic handling. The Seal is powered by an electric motor positioned on the rear axle, 201 hp and powered by a 61.4 or 82.5 kWh battery. A version dual-motor with a motor on each axle is also offered, developing 523 hp. In this case, only the 82.5 kWh battery is accessible. On the Chinese CLTC test cycles, the ranges range from 550 km to 700 km. As a reminder, the CLTC cycle is very theoretical and quite far from the slightly more realistic measurements of the European WLTC cycles.

BYD World Auto, sedan seal

© David Lefevre / Digital

The BYD Seal would be able to accept up to 150 kW of direct current charging.

If these figures are interesting, we will probably see the Atto 3 land in France as a priority, an all-electric SUV based on the same in-house platform called e-Platform 3.0 and using an 800 V electrical architecture. The Atto 3 has a 152 kW (206 hp) electric motor and has a range of 420 km (WLTP cycles). Its attack price will be €38,000.

BYD auto world electric suv atto 3

© David Lefevre / Digital

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