BYD Seal detailed, Australia’s next Tesla Model 3 rival

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BYD Seal which is planned for Australia has a claimed maximum output of 390kW and a driving range of 700km.

The new BYD Seal electric sedan has gone on sale in China, with BYD confirming that initial deliveries are planned to begin by the end of the month. BYD offers the Atto 3 in Australia via retailer EVDirect and plans to bring the Seal in next.

Revealed in May, the Tesla Model 3 rival is claimed to have attracted up to 60,000 pre-orders from Chinese customers.

Prices for the Seal in its home market start at ¥222,274 (AUD$47,500) and extend to ¥298,140 (AUD$64,000).

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The exterior styling of the EV inherits cues first revealed on the Ocean X concept car and what BYD calls its “ocean aesthetics” design lineage.

At 4800mm long, 1875mm wide and 1460mm tall, it’s 106mm longer, 58mm narrower and 17mm taller than the Model 3. Its wheelbase is 45mm longer than its Tesla rival’s, at 2920mm.

The Seal is based on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 structure, making it the third BYD car to do so after the Dolphin and Yuan Plus, and comes with the choice of two different BYD Blade batteries, 61.4kWh and 82.5kWh units.

Both feature BYD’s lithium ion phosphate (LFP) battery cell technology and uses cell-to-body (CTB) construction, meaning the battery module is integrated into the body structure – a first for BYD.

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The new construction process is claimed to provide the body of the four-door Seal with high torsional rigidity of up to 40,000Nm/deg.

The base rear-wheel-drive model receives a rear-mounted 15el0kW ectric motor and 61.4kWh battery, giving it a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.7sec and a range of 550km on the Chinese CLTC test cycle.

A long-range rear-wheel-drive model occupies the middle of the Seal line-up. Its 230kW rear-mounted electric motor is combined with the 82.5kWh battery, giving a 0-100km/h time of 5.9sec and a 150km increase in the CLTC range over its less powerful sibling at 700km.

The range-topping performance model features a dual-motor drivetrain with 160kW at the front and 230kW at the rear for a combined system output of 390kW, along with the 82.5kWh battery for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.8sec and a CLTC range of 650km.

Seals featuring the 62.4kWh battery can be charged at rates of up to 110kW, while those with the 82.5kWh unit have been engineered to handle a charging rate of up to 150kW.

The Seal is underpinned by a double wishbone (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension. BYD claims a 50:50 weight distribution for the dual-motor model, which receives the company’s Intelligent Torque Adaptation Control (ITAC) system to apportion drive between the front and rear axles.

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