Wednesday, November 13, 2024
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Chinese Makers Shake Up The EV Marketplace

Electric cars aren’t just changing what we drive, they’re also causing considerable alarm to traditional car makers. For decades Toyota, GM, Ford, Volkswagen / Audi etc have dominated the sales charts, writes James Stinson.

But battery electric cars are so fundamentally different to diesel / petrol-powered ones that new entrants that are prepared to take risks and innovate can prosper. Tesla is the most obvious example but the biggest disruptors with potentially the most to gain in the long term are Chinese manufacturers like MG and BYD.

The scale and ambition of BYD, which stands for Build your Dreams, is massive… especially for a car maker you’ve probably never heard of.

Boosted by sales in its huge home market, it became the largest battery electric car maker in the world in the final quarter of 2023, overtaking Tesla.

The growth of BYD and other Chinese brands has gotten other car makers and governments around the world so spooked that many, including the US, Canada and the EU, are planning to introduce punitive tariffs in a bid to protect their own car industries.

For the time being though, consumers are the winners. Innovation is rampant and prices are coming down. And it isn’t just the cheaper end of the market that Chinese car makers are targeting. This new BYD Seal is a luxury saloon with its eyes firmly on rivals like the Tesla Model 3, BMW i4 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.

Unlike many Chinese cars, it isn’t priced to undercut rivals so it needs to have something about it in company like this and the quirkily named Seal is a good looking, well-engineered car with plenty of high-end tech.

It’s available in two and four-wheel drive with the entry level Design variant costing from £45,695. Both versions are powered by the same 83kWh battery though the twin motor version produces considerably more power – 530bhp compared to 313bhp.

The extra power delivers stellar performance, with a 0-62mph time of just 3.8 seconds though the single motor version is no slouch either, posting a 0-62mph time of 5.9 seconds.

Range is also better on the single motor version – 354 miles compared to 323. Real-world figures will likely be lower depending on driving styling, route, climate etc but it’s ballpark for this segment.

At this price point, you’re also after a classy interior and the Seal delivers here too. The cabin is comfortable, well laid out and filled with plush materials. The giant 16-inch centrally mounted touchscreen is easy to use while the cabin is spacious and well-laid out.

Every Seal comes with a full-length glass roof, which adds to the airy feel. The rear has plenty of legroom while the boot is adequate. There’s also a small trunk (frunk?) in the front, which is handy for storing charging cables.

Standard equipment on both versions includes 19-inch alloy wheels, an electric tailgate, heated and ventilated seats with electrical adjustment and a memory function, dual-zone air conditioning, a heat pump (to improve efficiency), adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, touchscreen infotainment and parking aids.  The four-wheel drive Excellence model – from £48,695 – adds a head-up display and more sophisticated adaptive suspension.

The Seal’s Blade battery has a maximum charging rate of 150kW, so if you can find a quick public charger you should be able to top up from 10% to 80% in around 38 minutes though the vast majority of charging is done at home, overnight.

Chinese cars with a premium brand feel are a bit of a novelty but as electric cars become mainstream, we’re going to see a lot more BYDs on the roads.

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