China’s BYD has unveiled one of its most technologically advanced vehicles yet – and a direct threat to the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6-to Mexico.
In Mexico, the BYD seal will have an equivalent value of less than $45,000, the company recently announced. That’s a few thousand dollars less than Seal’s base in Europe.
The BYD Seal is 189.0 inches long, 73.8 inches wide, and 57.5 inches tall with a 115.0-inch wheelbase. Compared to the Model 3, this means that the Seal is about ten centimeters longer, one centimeter wider and one centimeter higher and its wheelbase is about two centimeters longer.
BYD seal
The seal has two versions of it BYD Blade batterywhere safety and coolness are the focus, but the energy density is competitive LFP battery chemistry. In its top trim, the Seal has an 82.5 kWh package, in Europe it is equipped with a heat pump and achieves a range of up to 355 miles on the WLTP cycle – a number that EPA testing suggests is close to 300 miles could come. BYD claims a drag coefficient of just 0.219.
Single-engine versions of the Seal produce 309 horsepower and can accelerate to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds, while dual-engine versions produce 523 horsepower and can accelerate to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds.
BYD seal
BYD seal
BYD seal
BYD seal
The BYD Seal is the second vehicle, following the Dolphin, to follow a new ocean-themed design direction, and it is the first built based on the company’s foundation New generation 800 volt EV platform. Whether with the 61.1 kWh base battery pack or the larger one, it is BYD’s first global model to integrate cell-to-body technology that goes beyond the idea of battery modules. The body floor serves as a top case for the 4.3-inch thick battery pack, with a sandwich-like, aluminum-intensive structure that helps maximize interior space.
The Seal is also BYD’s first model to feature a four-wheel independent suspension with double wishbones at the front and a five-link rear setup, as well as variable frequency dampers.
In addition to the rear trunk, there’s a 1.9-cubic-foot trunk, some models feature a panoramic sunroof and rear sunshades, while a 15.6-inch infotainment screen can be rotated from landscape to portrait on all versions. It also has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, as well as over-the-air updates, available 12-speaker audio, and an active safety suite that looks competitive with other current electric vehicles available in the US. Both the BYD Seal and the smaller Dolphin hatchback have also been awarded five stars in the Euro NCAP safety test.
The Seal also supports V2L and can output 3.0 kW for accessories outside the vehicle. According to BYD, DC fast charging of up to 150 kW enables a 30-80% charge in 26 minutes.
Deliveries begin in Europe and it has already received an overall rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP safety test.
BYD seal – 2023 auto show in Tokyo
BYD seal – 2023 auto show in Tokyo
BYD seal – 2023 auto show in Tokyo
Green Car Reports has also examined the seal up close several times – most recently at the Tokyo auto show in late October – and at least in these versions on display, the build quality and materials appear to be as good or better than what buyers might find in current US versions of the model 3.
BYD is no stranger to the US market, and the company considered entering the US market shortly after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought 10% of the company in 2008. The company assembles and sells electric buses in the United States and has previously launched electric buses, the e6, for taxi service to North America, and that model achieved an official EPA range of 187 miles. A Test report on the BYD e6 featured unremarkable performance and an interior reminiscent of the Japanese econocars of the ’80s and ’90s, but Green Car Reports found that its lineup was broadly as advertised.
BYD just reported sales of a total of 6 million “new energy vehicles” – a mix of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids – and recently hinted that it is also looking to focus Growth in India with a manufacturing partnership. Green Car Reports reached out to BYD to find out if the recent launch in Mexico is an indication that the company is closer to making another attempt at making cars for America.
