Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD, through its Indian arm, will bring the Seal electric sedan next month to remain the top luxury electric automaker in the local market.
BYD to import Seal EV in India
According to local publication The Hindu Business Line, BYD will officially launch the Seal electric sedan in the Indian market as a “CBU” model on March 5, 2024.
For context, it stands for “Completely Built Unit.” It basically refers to the process wherein an automaker imports a vehicle model to a foreign country as a fully assembled unit.
BYD currently sells two electric vehicle models in India, including the Atto 3 electric SUV and e6 electric MPV. The Chinese automaker produces both models in a factory close to Chennai as SKD units.
SKD means “Semi Knocked-Down,” a process that disassembles a vehicle at its origin and reassembles it in another country.
The imminent launch of the new BYD Seal will enable the Chinese NEV giant to remain dominant in India’s luxury EV market, above ₹30-lakh segment. It poses a significant threat to other luxury brands in the local market, including Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
“We want to stay as the leading player in the premium EV space – above ₹30-lakh category.”
Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, BYD India’s Electric Passenger Vehicle Business Senior VP
Distribution network expansion
BYD India also has plans to expand its electric vehicle distribution and service network in the country further based on demand.
As of today, BYD India operates 24 touchpoints in the country. This year, it may deploy at least ten new touchpoints to reach several non-metro areas.
BYD is also striving to form new partnerships with local companies to establish a strong and reliable charging network in the country to support the growing demand for its EV offerings.
India-spec BYD Seal
Presented below are the key specifications of the BYD Seal in India:
| Specification | Value |
| Battery capacity | 82.5 kWh |
| Range (WLTP) | 700 km |
| Top speed | 180 km/h |
| Acceleration (0-100 km/h) | 3.8 seconds (dual motor variant) |
| Power | 204 PS (single motor variant), 312 PS (dual motor variant) |
| Torque | 310 Nm (single motor variant), 360 Nm (dual motor variant) |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 4800 mm x 1875 mm x 1460 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2920 mm |
| Ground clearance | 140 mm |
| Boot space | 514 liters |
| Seating capacity | 5 adults |
As for the pricing, the BYD Seal is expected to have a price range of Rs. 55.00 Lakh – Rs. 60.00 Lakh, depending on the motor configuration.
In hindsight, BYD advanced as the top-selling electric automaker in the global market in the fourth quarter of last year. It overthrew Tesla’s 484,507 sales with its whopping 526,409 unit record. It would be interesting to see how BYD would compete with Tesla when the American brand arrives in India.
