At the beginning of September, China’s largest manufacturer of electric cars announced that it is coming to the European market with the all-electric sedan, BYD Seal. The car was unveiled in April, and last week, BYD in Budapest presented to European customers, along with this model, two other fully electric models, the Atto 3 and the Dolphin.
The European BYD Seal model will be available in two versions: Design and Excellence-AWD. Both versions will be equipped with an 82.5 kWh battery, but the Design version is powered by a single electric motor with 313 hp (230 kW) sent to the rear wheels. It also has a range of 570 kilometers. Both models allow the driver to choose four driving modes: ECO mode, which prioritizes energy efficiency and extends the driving range; Normal mode, providing a balanced driving experience for everyday use; Sport mode, emphasizing performance through aggressive acceleration and sharper handling; Snow mode, designed to enhance traction and stability on slippery surfaces like snow or ice.
A more powerful version, Excellence-AWD, is powered by two electric motors with a total power of 530 hp (390 kW). Power is sent to all wheels in the ratio of 217 hp (160 kW) to the front wheels and 313 hp (230 kW) to the rear wheels. It is built on the BYD e-Platform 3.0 for greater efficiency, aerodynamics, power, body rigidity and space utilization. Using a 150 kW DC charger, the battery is charged from 30% to 80% in 26 minutes. It has a range of 520 km.
The Atto 3 will be powered by a single electric motor with 210 hp (154 kW) and will be equipped with a 60.48 kW battery that will provide a range of 420 km. When it comes to the price of the Atto 3, it starts at 36,000 euros for the Comfort version with LFP Blade.
The BYD Dolphin will be powered by a single engine with 95 hp (70 kW), and will be equipped with a 44.9 kWh battery that will provide a range of 427 km (WLTP). The offer will also include two more powerful versions with engines of 177 hp (130 kW) and 210 hp (154 kW) and a 60.49 kWh battery. When it comes to the price, the BYD Dolphin starts at 28,300 euros.
The Hungarian market is not unknown to this Chinese manufacturer, because six years ago, BYD built a factory for research, development and production of electric buses in Komárom. “Of particular importance to our company is that our electric cars are now officially available in Hungary. BYD has deep-rooted experience in Hungary through its BYD eBus business and factory in Komárom,” said BYD Europe CEO Michael Shu.
Obviously, Hungary will be the starting point for Chinese companies that want to break into Europe, because in addition to BYD, Nio has a factory of battery exchange stations in this country, while the battery giant CATL has announced an investment of more than 7 billion euros in the construction of a battery factory of 100 GWh. Also, Sunwoda announced that it will build a factory in Hungary.
Source: BYD