5 things to know about the upcoming BYD Seal EV

BYD, a leading player in the zero-emission energy ecosystem, is giving tough competition to other electric car manufacturers, including Tesla. After achieving huge success in the home market, the Chinese automaker is poised for worldwide expansion, establishing a foothold in Southeast Asia where Japanese brands enjoy high market shares.

BYD marked its entry into Malaysia last year with the Atto 3 and later introduced the Dolphin in July. Now, the Chinese EV brand is creating more buzz with the upcoming launch of the Seal, expected to be held early next year. Here are the 5 things to know about the upcoming BYD Seal EV.

Award-winning design

The BYD SEAL is a recipient of the coveted iF Design Award, confirming its superior design and innovation. It features an ocean-inspired design with an X-shaped sporty and stylish front fascia, a coupe-like silhouette with distinctive elements like double waistlines, a low-slung front hood, and an upturned ducktail design.

The headlights of the EV boast distinctive double U-shaped light clusters, producing a captivating stereo effect. These are paired with glistening “ripple” daytime running lights, themed on ocean waves.

The through-type LED tail lights draw inspiration from water droplets; they boast a dot matrix arrangement that seamlessly extends throughout the entire rear, which also features dynamic lines along with a non-uniform bumper and a black air diffuser. The EV runs on 19-inch Seiko Blade Wheels.

The interior design also follows the Ocean Aesthetics design philosophy with a signature “Surging Wave” style dashboard, water drop-shaped inner buckles and a crystal gear shift lever.

Impressive aerodynamics

The EV offers an exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.219 Cd thanks to its sleek, low-to-the-ground body style with a smooth front end and a sloping roofline. The vehicle effortlessly cuts through the air like a razor blade. The retractable door handles are part of the aerodynamic equation as they cleverly retract and align with the doors during motion and allow airflow to pass smoothly at high speeds.

In-house developed CTB technology

The BYD SEAL is the brand’s first EV that is equipped with in-house developed CTB technology. This interesting technology integrates the battery pack into the EV’s body and creates a strong “sandwich” structure. This design helps in achieving a remarkable torsional rigidity of 40,500 Nm/°, which is equivalent to luxury cars. It offers a 50% increase in structural safety in frontal crashes and a 100% stiffness over conventional design. And the testament to that is the EV’s 5-star safety rating received by Euro NCAP, Europe’s leading independent safety assessment organisation.

Blade battery pack

Just like Atto 3 and Dolphin, the Seal is also packed with the BYD Blade Battery, touted as one of the world’s safest batteries. It was developed in-house by BYD with the primary goal of optimising safety, durability, longevity, performance, and space utilisation. The 172 thin elongated cells that look like blades are arranged in one pack with each cell serving as a structural beam to help withstand the force. 

The Blade Battery employs lithium iron phosphate (LFP) for enhanced safety and durability as compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries. The pack offers better thermal stability with less sensitivity to temperature fluctuations. It has successfully passed a series of extreme tests in rigorous conditions such as being heated in a furnace to 300°C, crushed, bent, and overcharged by 260%. 

The BYD Seal is offered with two different battery packs globally, namely, 61.4 kWh and 82.56 kWh, providing a maximum range of up to 460 km and 570 km, respectively.

Intelligent cockpit system

The EV also features the BYD Intelligent Cockpit System, which uses the latest technologies and user insights to provide a seamless connected experience. It comprises a 15.6-inch rotatable screen, allowing users to choose between landscape and portrait formats. Simultaneously, a range of driver information is displayed on the 10.25-inch full instrument LCD panel. 

In global markets, the system comes mated to a 4G connection, integrated Spotify, navigation, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, intelligent voice control activated by the command "Hey BYD" and a 12-speaker Dynaudio Performance Audio System. It also supports over-the-air updates. 

What are your thoughts on the upcoming BYD Seal? Do you consider it a compelling choice over the Tesla Model 3? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: BYD Malaysia turns one; introduces Atto 3 Anniversary Limited Edition