At the Beijing Motor Show, BYD showcased its new Ocean M electric car concept, set to hit the Chinese market in the third quarter of 2024. Priced between approximately 150,000 and 200,000 yuan (19,300 to 25,800 euros), the hatchback model is slated for production.
While BYD has not confirmed whether the Ocean M will be available in Europe, industry observers, including Car News China, speculate that its design hints at a potential European market launch.
The Ocean M is built on a new electric platform, possibly succeeding the current e-platform 3.0. BYD has revealed limited technical details, noting that the model will feature rear-wheel drive and utilize a new generation of cell-to-body batteries, possibly an advancement of the current blade batteries.
Sporting a dynamic design with a rear spoiler and diffuser elements, BYD claims the Ocean M is “the first high-performance hatchback model with rear-wheel drive.” This distinguishes it from other high-performance compact cars, which typically feature all-wheel drive.
In addition to the Ocean M, BYD confirmed plans to introduce the Seagull small electric car to Europe next year. Details about the European version remain undisclosed, including potential differences from the current Chinese model. Stella Li, Executive Vice President of BYD, indicated that even she had not seen the European version, suggesting that modifications may include adapting the charging standard from the Chinese GB/T to the widely used CCS in Europe.
The current Seagull is a subcompact car measuring 3.78 meters in length, with a battery capacity of up to 39 kWh. This places it slightly below upcoming small electric cars from European manufacturers such as the Citroen e-C3 and VW ID.2, both of which are over four meters long.
Additionally, BYD presented the new Z9 GT of the Denza brand, a collaboration between BYD and Mercedes-Benz. The Z9 GT, previously teased with images and information, is a 5.18-meter-long vehicle equipped with three engines producing a system output of 710 kW.
