- BYD goals to tackle the dominance of the Tesla Mannequin Y
- The Sealion is the automaker’s newest try at taking down Tesla
BYD has its sights set on toppling the Tesla Mannequin Y’s gross sales supremacy with the brand new Sealion 7, certainly one of six new EVs that it plans to launch in Europe by the top of 2025. You may consider it because the extra sensible and spacious crossover various to the BYD Seal EV sedan that’s already obtainable in lots of European markets.
The Sealion 7 is barely decrease and wider than the Mannequin Y; it has a 1.6-inch (40 millimeters) longer wheelbase and is 3.2 inches (80 mm) longer general. Its exterior design language is similar to the Seal EV, wanting extra like a tall hatchback than a standard SUV. The sloping roofline would place it into the identical coupe SUV class as the Mannequin Y, though it doesn’t taper towards the rear fairly as dramatically because the Tesla.
Inside, it includes a very comparable design to the refreshed Seal sedan proven in China. It has a 15.6-inch central display screen that rotates to supply panorama and portrait orientations, however in contrast to its rival from Tesla, it additionally has loads of bodily controls too.
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BYD
The seats look higher than those within the present Mannequin Y (though the redesigned Mannequin Y Juniper might have improved seats just like the Mannequin 3 Highland) due to quilted Nappa leather-based complimented by comfortable vegan leather-based that the producer says covers 80% of the inside. One characteristic that the Sealion 7 has and the Mannequin Y lacks is an electrical cowl for the full-length panoramic glass roof.
Energy will likely be saved in certainly one of two lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade batteries. The massive battery has a gross capability of 91.3 kilowatt-hours, of which round 82.5 kWh are usable and sufficient for 380 miles (610 kilometers) in China and 342 miles (550 km) on the marginally extra correct WLTP check cycle utilized in Europe. The Chinese language market model can be obtainable with a standard-range 71.8 kWh pack whose CLTC ranking is 340 miles (550 km).
BYD hasn’t detailed the vary of powertrains obtainable in Europe, however the prime model of the Sealion 7 bought elsewhere has a two-motor configuration with 523 horsepower and a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) time of 4.5 seconds. The highest velocity is 133 mph (214 km/h) and its motors can spin at as much as 23,000 rpm.
Charging the big-battery Sealion 7 from 30 to 80% takes 25 minutes and its most DC quick charging energy is 230 kW.
The producer will convey further powertrain configurations to Europe at a later time. This features a base single-motor model, which is probably going geared up with a standard-range battery. China will deal with the preliminary manufacturing for Europe, however the firm expects the Sealion 7 to be the primary mannequin to come back out of its new manufacturing facility presently beneath building in Hungary.
This can permit BYD to bypass the hefty import duties that the European Union will start imposing on Chinese language-made automobiles beginning in November. It expects to begin producing automobiles in Hungary by the top of 2025, so the primary Sealion 7s bought in Europe (first deliveries are anticipated to begin this month) will incur a 17.1% tax on prime of the ten% that BYD autos have been already required to pay.
