Will the BYD Seagull be ALLOWED into Malaysia to rival the two national car brands?
Say hello to the BYD Seagull which MIGHT just be the electric car to dominate the Malaysian A-segment EV. It has been having fast growing sales in China since its launch at the recent Shanghai Motor Show and soon the same situation will be in ASEAN countries (once the right hand drive version is developed).
BYD management in China retails the Seagull at 73,800 yuan (which is about USD10,500), this means it can be on sale in Malaysia at about RM80k with a healthy margin and give Perodua a stiff competition. In fact, this might be the first ever compact electric car for Myvi and Ativa owners to upgrade to without feeling a financial pinch.
Imagine this, 7-year-old Myvi owners who can still trade-in their reliable fuel saving compact cars for a full electric car and continue almost the same monthly installments.
This BYD Seagull is sized at 3,780 mm (148.8 inches) long, 1,715 mm (67.5 inches) wide, and it stands 1,540 mm (60.6 inches) tall making it slightly larger than the current Myvi and about the size of the Ativa.
The entry-level model is powered by a 74 hp motor at the front wheels while the top version has a 100 hp motor. Meanwhile, 30 kWh and 38 kWh battery packs are offered for Chinese buyers which might be carried for the export market.
Despite the compact sizes of these batteries, the 30 kWh version delivers about 305 kilometers of range while the 38 kWh version has been rated for a decent 405 kilometers. Both models support DC fast charging and can be charged to 80 percent in just 30 minutes.
A key feature of the 30 kWh battery pack is that it is the first BYD model to use sodium-ion battery chemistry that is cheaper to manufacture.
With a quite minimal cabin, the BYD Seagull still offers plenty of features, including a 12.8-inch infotainment screen, a 5-inch digital instrument cluster, a wireless charging pad and two cup-holders. Fit and finish in the cabin is very good and its about time Malaysians are offered an electric car for RM80k or so.
Below we share the technology features of the BYD Seagull
- Drive motor type: AC permanent magnet synchronous motor
- Drive motor maximum power: 55 kW
- Maximum torque of drive motor: 135 Nm
- 0-50 km/h acceleration time: 4.9 seconds
- Range under CLTC: 305 km (entry and mid level versions) and 405 km (high level version)
- Battery capacity: 30.08 kWh (entry and mid level versions) and 38 kWh (high level version)
- Battery type: module-less LFP (LiFePO4) battery (BYD Blade)
- Fast charging time: 30 minutes from 30 to 80 percent
- DC charging: 30 kW (entry and mid level versions) and 40 kW (high level version)
- AC charging: 6.6 kW
