BYD Seagull comes with a 38 kWh battery pack with a claimed 405 km of range – It is likely to be priced in the Rs 10 lakh range
BYD is the leading electric car manufacturer in the world. Not only their electric cars are in demand, but their Blade Battery cells are also in equally high demand. Mahindra has revealed that their upcoming range of electric SUVs will be powered by BYD’s Blade battery. BYD is a Chinese car brand which sells Atto 3 electric SUV in India. They have plans to launch new electric cars in India.
In a previous post, we have covered BYD Sea Lion trademarked in India. In this post, we will take a look at another BYD product that the company has trademarked in India. Of course we’re talking about BYD Seagull that is currently making a lot of noise globally, for the VFM (value for money) quotient that it brings to the EV segment.
BYD Seagull Trademarked
In China, BYD has priced it between CNY 78,000 and CNY 95,800 at launch. This roughly translates to around Rs. 9.4 lakh and Rs. 11.4 lakh respectively. But considering price wars in the Chinese EV market, they usually retail for much less. Price seems to be alright. However, it will lend new perspectives as soon as we bring powertrain numbers into the equation.
It gets a 38 kWh battery that is good enough for a claimed 405 km of range. There is a 70 kW motor (94 bhp) and the top speed is 130 km/h. Unlike MG Comet (rebadged Wuling Air EV), BYD Seagull is a proper practical EV with five-door layout and genuine space in rear seats.
BYD Seagull measures 3780 mm long, 1715 mm wide, 1540 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2500 mm. This puts it directly in line against India’s best selling electric car – Tata Tiago EV’s dimensions. Unlike the Tiago EV, BYD offers a tonne of flash value as well. There are projector headlights, connected LED tail lights, and stylish alloy wheels with rear disc brakes too.
On the inside, BYD Seagull is a tech fest with a 5-inch instrument console and a 12.8-inch main infotainment screen. Features include a flat-bottom steering wheel with audio controls, a smart layered dashboard, a powered driver’s seat, a neatly integrated wireless charging pad and more.
Will it launch in India?
Just because BYD has trademarked it in India, it is not confirmation that we will see Seagull on our roads soon. If that was the case, Honda should have had a robust 2W lineup in India. But we are optimistic for the world’s largest EV maker to see India as a future potential market and launch more affordable vehicles to fortify its grounds.
BYD Seagull is a part of the company’s Ocean Series consisting of Sea Lion SUV (recently trademarked), Dolphin and Seal sedan (showcased in India). Seagull gets BYD’s e-platform 3.0 skateboard and if launched in India, we can expect more products with this platform in the future.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
