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The upcoming electric vehicle from Chinese automaker BYD, set to compete with Tesla's Model 3, is making strides toward its Australian debut, expected later this year. However, the exact pricing information for the 2024 BYD Seal remains a few weeks away from being revealed.
Enthusiasts eager to get their hands on the 2024 BYD Seal electric sedan can anticipate the opening of order books in the coming weeks. Customer deliveries are projected to commence by the end of this year, pending any unforeseen delays.
Recently, a right-hand-drive pre-production model of the Seal arrived in Australia and is currently on display at BYD's new 'Megastore' showroom in Sydney. This development follows several sightings of prototypes across the country over the past six months.
Pricing details for this Tesla Model 3 competitor are anticipated to be disclosed in late October, with Luke Todd, the Managing Director of BYD's Australian distributor EV Direct, sharing this insight.
Simultaneously with the pricing announcement, order availability is also expected to open, with deliveries scheduled for November or December 2023.
This timeline represents the latest update for the BYD Seal sedan, which was initially slated to open for orders in late 2022, with first deliveries projected for the middle of 2023, as announced in August 2022.
The BYD Seal's primary competitor in the Australian electric vehicle market will be the Tesla Model 3. In terms of pricing, the Model 3 recently started at $57,400 plus on-road costs, and an updated model announced on September 1 now lists at $61,900 plus on-road costs.
Regarding pricing for the BYD Seal, Mr. Todd did not provide an estimate but expressed the company's commitment to offering highly competitive prices in its respective categories.
In Europe, customers have the option of selecting between a single-motor rear-wheel drive or a dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration.These variants come with an 82.5 kWh ‘Blade’ lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, providing driving ranges of 570 km and 520 km under WLTP testing, respectively.
The single-motor version generates 230 kW and boasts a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 5.9 seconds, while the dual-motor model incorporates a 160 kW front motor for a combined 390 kW output and a 3.8-second 0-100 km/h time.
Charging capabilities are impressive, with the Seal capable of reaching 30 to 80 percent charge in just 26 minutes on a 150 kW DC rapid charger. Additionally, it supports 11 kW three-phase AC home charging.
Mr. Todd confirmed that BYD Seals destined for the Australian market would feature simplified ‘BYD’ badges rather than the 'Build Your Dreams' script found on the Atto 3 small SUV and Dolphin hatch. While Europe is seeing a badge change for the Atto 3, there are currently no plans to implement this change in Australia.
