BYD to bring two more BEV models to Europe

BYD wants to rapidly expand its electric car range in Europe. The electric car trio with which the Chinese manufacturer plans to launch in many European markets could be expanded to a quintet as early as next year.

BYD not only presented its well-known trio Atto 3, Tang and Han at the Paris Motor Show, but also its Seal electric sedan, which has already been launched in China, as a competitor for the Tesla Model 3. With good reason: As Pere Brugal, BYD’s sales manager in Europe, told Automotive News, the BYD Seal will also be available in Europe in the course of 2023. However, the manager did not provide any information on a more precise date or even prices.

In addition, BYD is also considering offering the Dolphin compact electric vehicle in Europe. Here, too, there was no further information.

Both models are based on BYD’s e-platform 3.0. As the name suggests, this is a pure platform for electric vehicles, while the Han and Tang are also available as plug-in hybrids in markets outside Europe. However, the e-platform 3.0 is no longer prepared for combustion engines. Instead, it relies on a system voltage of 800 volts and the in-house LFP cell chemistry. In the case of the BYD Seal, the company’s new cell-to-body approach is even used, in which the battery is integrated directly into the vehicle body.

The Atto 3 is also based on this platform. In Germany, this model starts at 38,000 euros. The Dolphin as a compact vehicle is likely to be positioned a good deal below that – here, at least in the versions for the Chinese market, the battery is also significantly smaller at 30.7 or 44.9 kWh. For the Seal, it might depend a bit on which versions BYD wants to offer in Europe. In China, the simpler model with around 60 kWh and 150 kW drive power (but with rear-wheel drive) comes to comparable values as the Atto 3. However, there is also a 230 kW version with a battery of over 82 kWh. This version is likely to be priced above the Atto 3.

BYD wants to deliver its vehicles to Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg this year after the premiere market Norway, and the markets in France and Great Britain are also to follow in 2022. BYD will also soon be serving Austria.

thedriven.io, autonews.com (paywall), electrek.co