Chinese electric vehicle and battery giant BYD has formally revealed its all-new Seagull subcompact EV and officially started pre-sales at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show.
The BYD Seagull EV is set to reform China’s first-car segment. The automaker has already secured 10,000 reservations for the EV in just a day after making its global premiere at the auto show press conference.
For those unaware, the Seagull is part of BYD’s Ocean series, which also comprises the Dolphin small hatchback and Seal mid-size car. Moreover, it is also the company’s most affordable offering to date. It is priced as low as $11,400 (78,800 yuan) in China, which accounts for the large volume of orders placed in such a short amount of time.
What is currently known about the Seagull EV?
Performance
StarCarSifu reports that the BYD Seagull EV is equipped with a 55kW motor and a 30 kWh BYD Blade LFP battery, offering an approximately 300 km driving range. It also boasts a maximum speed of 128kph.
The new EV also has a 75kW motor and a 38 kWh battery option, which allows for a driving range of about 400 km.
Like its siblings, Dolphin and Seal, the Seagull EV use the company’s e-Platform 3.0. Moreover, it can charge up to 80% in 30 minutes using either battery because both have DC rapid charging capabilities.
Dimensions
The BYD Seagull spans the gap between the city car and subcompact categories in terms of dimensions, per CarNewsChina. It is 148.8 inches (3,780 millimeters) long, 67.5 inches (1,715 millimeters) wide, and 60.6 inches (1,540 millimeters) tall, with a wheelbase of 98.4 inches (2,500 millimeters).
In that regard, it is 1.2 in (30 mm) lower, 2.1 in (55 mm) slimmer, and 13.6 in (345 mm) shorter than the BYD Dolphin.
Design
The BYD Seagull EV is a five-door, four-seat hatchback. It boasts a contemporary design that is slightly similar to its sibling Dophin but more daring. It has sharp LED headlights and a rear LED light bar. It has large windshields, a single wiper, and a floating roof design.
Inside, it features a sporty steering wheel, two cup holders, and a wireless charging pad. It also has a 12.8-inch infotainment screen and a 5-inch instrument cluster. It is also equipped with a 10.1-inch rotating touchscreen, four airbags, and Bluetooth car keys.
See Also:
- The upcoming BYD Seagull – Ocean series lineup
- BYD employs a multi-brand strategy to hit 3 million EV sales in 2023
- BYD’s sales of plug-in car sales nearly doubled in March 2023
- BYD to launch its new all-electric car with an 8-in-1 powertrain on April 6
- BYD begins building its 20 GWh Wenzhou battery plant
All that said, BYD Seagull is undoubtedly a strong contender in its market segment or even overall. In fact, an Analyst even told Reuters that it could potentially become China’s best-selling EV within just six months after launch. Given the scale of China’s EV market, this might make the BYD Seagull the best-selling EV in the entire globe.
