BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle and battery maker, is reinforcing its commitment to Europe with the public unveiling of its Seal 6 DM-i Touring plug-in hybrid at the IAA Mobility 2025 show in Munich, alongside a display of the Euro NCAP five-star rated Dolphin Surf. The company also announced a new BYD Certified Pre-Owned scheme.
Stella Li, BYD Executive Vice President, confirmed that production of the Dolphin Surf, the small electric car sold in China as the Seagull, will start at the company’s new plant in Szeged, Hungary, by the end of 2025. “Europe is a tremendously important market for us, so it’s natural to confirm here, at the region’s largest auto show of 2025, that our iconic Dolphin Surf will be the first car that we manufacture in Hungary,” Li said. “We’ve been consistent with our commitment to this project and we’re really excited to start selling cars produced in Europe.”
The Dolphin Surf is intended to lead BYD’s European-made lineup, while the Seal 6 DM-i Touring PHEV serves as a bridging technology in Europe. With new EU tariffs on fully electric cars from China, BYD has increased imports of plug-in hybrids, which are exempt from the duties, helping the company navigate the price-sensitive small car market.
The Seal 6 DM-i Touring estate measures 4.84 metres long, 1.88 metres wide, and 1.51 metres high, and is offered in two battery variants. The Boost model has a 10.08 kWh blade battery with 135 kW system output, while the Comfort Lite and Comfort versions feature a 19 kWh battery with 156 kW output, providing just over 100 km of pure electric range. Combined range with the 1.5-litre petrol engine is 1,350 km for all variants.
Li also confirmed that BYD’s “flash charging” technology, capable of 1,000 kW charging, will arrive in Europe, with 200 to 300 stations planned by mid-2026. The system will initially support BYD’s premium Denza brand, including the Denza Z9 GT and D9 MPV models, which were also on display at the Munich show.