China's BYD Seal EV Feels Like A Tesla Model 3 Rival

Before its upcoming premiere at the Beijing Auto Show, BYD has shown the external design of the Seal. The totally electric four-door vehicle will be built on BYD's new electric platform, the e-platform 3.0. The Seal follows BYD's ocean motif, with marine life names designated for EVs such as the Dolphin and warship designations saved for PHEVs such as the Destroyer.

The Seal is a design progression of the revolutionary concept, with similarly powerful shapes and sleek elements like LED lighting units and traditional wheels. Generally, the vehicle demonstrates Chinese automakers' tremendous progress in design.

The BYD Seal, according to leaked papers, is 189 inches long, 73.8 inches wide, and 57.5 inches tall, with a 115 inches wheelbase.  It is somewhat bigger than the Tesla Model 3 and more in pace with the Nio ET5 and the BMW i3 eDrive35L thanks to these dimensions. The future Toyota bZ SDN, which is said to employ BYD's tech, is slated to have similar dimensions. 

The EV has a single rear-mounted electric engine that produces 201 or 308 hp, whereas the flagship has two.  This couples a front-mounted 214 hp motor with a rear-mounted 308 hp motor to achieve a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 3.8 seconds. The Blade 800V battery from BYD has a range of up to 435 miles. The BYD Seal weighs between 4,156 lbs and 4,740 lbs depending on the variation.

According to local media, the BYD Seal will cost between ¥220,000 and ¥280,000 ($34,500 and $44,000), making it significantly less expensive than the Tesla Model 3, which begins at ¥339,900 ($53,400) in China. BYD has stated that it will be available in Australia beginning in 2023 under the Atto 4 branding, and more countries would follow.