BYD revels Auto Shanghai with a threesome of newcomers

As the top-selling New Energy Vehicle brand in China, BYD didn’t miss out on its appointment at Auto Shanghai 2023. Instead, the brand showcased the concept car Song L, kickstarted pre-sales of the compact Seagull, and launched the Chaser 07. The latter is a plug-in hybrid, which applies to the NEV category.

Starting with the smallest member, the Seagull joins the Ocean series by BYD. It is a compact electric vehicle based on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 and uses Blade batteries with LFP cell chemistry (lithium-ferro-phospate). It comes with a 55 kW electric motor and two battery options: 30 kWh for a range of 305 km and 38,9 kWh for 405 km.

Coming to Europe

With its compact dimensions, resulting in a 35 centimeters shorter length (3 780 mm) compared to its sibling Dolphin, the Seagull will reportedly be offered in Europe at a second stage. Auto Shanghai 2023 was the opportunity to kickstart pre-sales.

The order book already closed on 10 000 candidates after the first day. However, the announced price tag of 78 800 yuan (€10 343) for the base model won’t stand in the way of its popularity.

The Seagull was rumored to introduce the cheaper and safer sodium-ion pack, but these were not on the show yet. However, Chinese medium 36kr reported that the company would start introducing them in the Seagull as of the fourth quarter of this year.

Reminiscent of Porsche

With Song L, BYD also put a concept on stage. The Song is one of the company’s best-selling lines in China (478 811 units sold last year). The L is an SUV with a rakish roof line and a stance reminiscent of Porsche’s chunkiest family members. The automatic rear spoiler doesn’t come as a surprise, then.

The Song L is a four-wheel driven BEV featuring a DiSus-A baptized leveling system for the air suspension to improve cornering. Though no further specific details were mentioned, the car sits on the e-Platform 3.0 (like the Seagull) and uses a cell-to-pack battery with LFP chemistry.

A production version is planned for later this year. Falcon-eyed readers will notice that the brand name Build Your Dreams (or Bring Your Dollars, according to some sources) has been shortened to BYD on the trunk.

PHEV with whopping range

As for the Destroyer 07, which uses the underpinnings of the Han, the sedan features more than a conspicuous color. Assisting the combustion engine, an atmospheric or charged 1.5-gasoline is a battery pack capable of a zero-emission range of 121 kilometers in the base version and a whopping 200 kilometers on the larger one.

Still, these impressive numbers demand caution when comparing them to PHEVs from German brands, as they are measured according to the favorable Chinese CLTC cycle. The Destroyer 07 will be launched in China during the third quarter.