FIRST DRIVE: 2024 BYD Seal. Has BYD built a better Tesla Model 3? | Electrifying

#bydseal #teslamodel3 #electriccars

If there’s one car that has come to define the electric car revolution, it has to be the Tesla Model 3. Millions have been sold since its introduction, making it the best-selling electric car in the world. So you might be wondering why nobody has thought about doing the same. Why aren’t our roads full of sleek, slippery saloons with efficiency that none of its competitors come close to matching?

Finally, that situation could be about to change. Six years after the Model 3 arrived, BYD is set to release what appears to be a worthy alternative. The Seal is part of BYD’s Ocean range of electric cars and UK bosses are planning to bring the first batch in before the end of the year. The Seal’s arrival will bookend what will be a remarkable assault on the UK car market from BYD. From no presence whatsoever at the start of 2023, BYD plans to have three models (Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal) in UK showrooms.

The Seal will be offered in the UK in two versions - rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive – badged Design and Excellence. The rear-drive version comes with 308bhp while the all-wheel drive version offers 523bhp. Which is a lot. The rear-drive version can go from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, while the all-wheel drive one does the same in 3.9 seconds. The AWD model’s straight line acceleration feels every bit as quick as those figures suggest.

Both versions come with an 82.5kWh battery as standard which uses cobalt-free LFP chemistry and BYD’s blade design that places all the cells into thin ‘blades’ that allow for a higher density of energy. The Seal also features what BYD calls Cell to Body construction. That’s a fancy way of saying that the battery is used as part of the structure of the car rather than just being bolted in.

——————————————————————————————-

Our reviews are written by some of the most experienced reviewers in the business and will even help you find the perfect new or used car.

[lucisleesion]

There is a Seal parking under my flat, and it looks gorgeous! Much better than shown in videos.

[Helena_Zee]

I love my BYD, fantastic car - already did 100k miles glitch-free

[Karamazovmm]

You can change the sound of the low speed pedestrian warning, in Brazil at least, there are 4 different sounds that can be played as the warning

[kimarefall]

I absolutely love my BYD Atto 3, best car I've had to be honest. Great tech, batteries, fully equipped etc. And those seats 🙂 so I definitely would recommend BYD, and the Seal is gorgeous 😍

[caoxin]

this car is my first EV, I’ve put 23, 000 kms in ten month and I think it worth every penny, energy consumption is around 18 kWh & 20 kWh high way😂

[goncaloaraujo]

Taking out “Build your dreams” was the best decision they made until now. Now I’m considering buying

[hermesliteratus]

A lot of the big names in the EV world are using BYD's blade batteries.

[xinyisuoshu]

Believe me, after driving the BYD electric car, you will lose confidence in the Tesla electric car.

[asimjabbar]

They were originally a battery manufacturing company before getting into the automotive industry. They are one of the biggest Chinese EV brand in terms of sheer volume. And their battery tech is cutting edge. Have seen their new prototype blade battery safety test on the internet, where they literally drilled a hole through the battery and it didn't exploded like any lithium ion battery.

[gamespot]

Love Atto 3, done the test drive and it is sold to me the same day. Tossing between model 3 but picked Atto 3 for the safer battery.

[abcxyz]

BYD is an Advance, Innovative, Gorgeous Looking Car. Love it. Wish I can buy one❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[cryptoman]

This car looks a lot nicer than model 3. I would definitely buy it if it ever sell in the US.

[Lena-vwye]

I'm absolutely blown away at the value they're providing with BYD in Europe. The only thing the luxury brands are going to have on BYD in the end, is branding, but BYD is going to hit the market by storm by providing what Hyundai and Kia does now, but without selling in the budget part of the market for a decade. BYD and many Chinese companies should also come to North America, and drive the prices down because some of the pricing of cars have become ridiculous. A brand new Lexus GX is a 3 year wait right now, and being sold over MSRP, while the Lexus RX is going for $80 - $90k with options on a 5% interest, used is 9% interest. Ridiculous.

[beta__]

Yes it is a bit of a gimmick but I do think that the rotating screen is something a lot of car manufacturers will be doing in the long run because it is practical and is a lot better than forcing users to use one screen orientation or the other.

[xgguo]

BYD Seal is a major competitor vs Tesla 3 . Unfortunatelly US blocked its export to US using high tarrif. China market is the major battlefield that BYD is competing with Tesla, together with other China brands (Nio, XPeng etc).

[wwbren]

I actually like the Build Your Dreams logo.

[timweikopf]

I am actually quite sad, that the additional advantages of a LFP battery in terms of environmental impact, fire safety or longevity are not mentioned for one of the only 80+kwh lfp battery cars. There are not a lot of those cars out there atm.

And in my opinion, it is not to understimate as a advantage, especially in the long run.

[EcoHouseThailand]

I sat in the Seal at the Bangkok motor show this year. I found it quite a snug fit compared to my current SUV. The black interior looks much more sophisticated.

[fatdoi]

whether it's priced above or below tesla for a few 1000, i'd still prefer Seal's outside and inside looks

[Nickbaldeagle]

EV car reviewers are obsessed... OBSESSED with 0-60, range and charging speed. Everything else is secondary.
Me, I want the BMW i4 because of the practicality of the hatch and the build quality.
I don't give a flying fig that it won't do 0-60 in 2.1s. I will charge up on my drive while I sleep, commute, take the dogs to the park and go to the shops like everyone else. And that will be it.