New EV’s MSRP Is $11,400: 10,000 Orders Come in 1 Day
EVs don’t make great large vehicles. All of the larger EVs right now, especially the 9,600 lb GMC Hummer, become heavy, hulking, bulky vehicles. As EV size shrinks, the advantages of electrification get better. Then, with a low price, it’s a great recipe for sales. Sudden sales. And that’s why the BYD Seagull had over 10,000 pre-orders in 24 hours.
Is the Seagull EV coming to the U.S.?
It will not be sold in the U.S., but smaller EVs like it should. These aren’t vehicles to drive cross-country, so they’re not for traveling 500 miles in a day. But for short and medium jaunts, why would you need a 9,600 lb Hummer? Or a 5,200 lb Lucid Air EV?
BYD has expanded its Ocean series with the Seagull. There is also the Dolphin hatchback and Seal midsize EV, but the Seagull is the least expensive of the three. At an $11,400 price for the base version, it’s a new EV with lots of technology inside.
What is the power and range of the BYD Seagull?
The electric motor has 74 hp, with two battery pack offerings. A 30 kWh battery with 190 miles range, and a 38 kWh with 251 miles range. With fast charging, an 80% charge takes less than a half-hour.
Sizewise, it fits between a subcompact and a city car. So it is small by U.S. standards. But, again, it’s not for long ranges. With a length of 149 inches, 67.5 inches wide, and 60.6 inches in height, the tight package can fit places where Hummers can’t.
How small is the Seagull EV?
It’s a five-door, four-seat hatchback that features a lively exterior that includes the de rigueur floating top. And from some angles, it also looks like it has a fin, in keeping with the sea theme of the three Ocean models. Without a person for scale, it looks no more smaller than a 2015 Scion iQ. And it actually matches the iQ’s dimensions, except it is almost two feet longer.
Toyota sold a little over 15,000 iQs from 2011 to 2017. So it wasn’t a best-selling vehicle, but today is different. EVs are gaining traction, with over 1.5 million registered already in California. Others in the media think it will be big for its native China.
In fact, Reuters analysts declare it could very well be China’s best-selling EV before the end of the year. It makes one wonder how well it would play in the U.S. Would you buy one if it were sold in the U.S.? We’d like to hear from you.
