BYD’s new electric SUV is about the size of a Tesla Model Y, but it’s expected to cost much less. The Seal 06 leaked in China this week, giving us a closer look at the new BYD EV, which is set to arrive later this year.
Meet the new BYD Seal 06 EV
Another day, another BYD electric car is surfacing. We knew it was coming soon after China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) revealed a regulatory filing last month.
Now, we are getting a better idea of what to expect when it arrives, with new information surfacing. China’s MIIT released key specs and a few new images of the Seal 06 this week.
BYD will offer the Seal 06 in both battery electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain options. The electric version will be available in three trims. A base model will draw power from a 65.28 kWh battery and 170 kW electric motor, providing up to 520 km (323 miles) CLTC range.
The extended-range 78.72 kWh battery is rated with a CLTC range of up to 605 km (376 miles). Meanwhile, a more powerful AWD variant includes an additional 110 kW front motor but has slightly less range at 550 km (342 miles).
Top comment by Spec9
It saddens me to say it but China just really has kicked our European and American butts when it comes to making good affordable long range EVs.
We can make some excuses like they pay lower wages, they have lower labor protections, and they have weaker environmental protections. And those are true to varying degrees. But it isn't ALL those differences. They really have built efficient battery and EV factories.
BYD’s electric SUV is 4,810 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, and 1,675 mm tall, or about the same size as the Tesla Model Y.
The new Model Y starts at 263,500 yuan ($36,500) in China. That’s for the base RWD model with a CLTC range of 593 km (368 miles). Upgrading to the Long Range AWD variant with a range of 719 km (447 miles) costs 313,500 yuan ($43,500).
According to CarNewsChina, BYD is expected to officially launch the Seal 06 in the third quarter of 2025. Prices will be revealed closer to launch, but the new SUV will likely start at around 160,000 yuan ($22,000).
BYD is coming off its best sales week of the year with nearly 68,000 vehicles registered in China from May 5 to May 11. Tesla, on the other hand, had just over 3,000.
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