The rival of the Tesla Model 3, the BYD Seal was introduced to the European market with its debut at the 2022 Paris Motor Show. The manufacturer from China is also increasingly adaptive to expand into other markets, saying the BYD Seal can be built for countries with the steering wheel on the right.
It is possible that the BYD Seal will set its wheels in a country with a steering wheel configuration on the right. This aggressive expansion is also part of the competition to compete with the Tesla Model 3.
The Seal is the production version of BYD’s Ocean X, a concept car launched in 2021. It is a four-door electric car with a sporty design flavor, underlined by its long curved roofline, sculpted front end and prominent rear diffuser. At the stern, the brand name Build Your Dreams (BYD) is fully attached.
This car measures 4800mm in length, 1875mm in width and 1460mm in height with a wheelbase of 2920mm. The BYD Seal is longer and taller than the Tesla Model 3, but smaller than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 in both respects.
Inside is BYD’s ‘e-Platform 3.0’ hardware which sees the battery used as an integral part of the car’s structure to increase rigidity and in turn, driving dynamics.
A choice of 61.4kWh or 82.5kWh battery packs is offered and these supply power to a single 150kW motor that powers the rear wheels or motors on each axle for 390kW and all-wheel drive – depending on your preference.
Charging can be carried out at speeds of up to 150kW while Chinese efficiency tests show a range of up to 550km for the BYD Seal with the smaller battery. The larger battery car is rated at 700km.
FYI, the BYD Atto 3 is already on sale in Australia and the Seal will be above the Atto 3 in terms of size, and could potentially change its name to be called the Atto 4.