BYD has revealed the pricing for its Tesla Model 3 rival named the Seal. Customers in China can pre-order it now starting from 289,800 Yuan, and the company claims it has already sold over one-third of the production volume planned for the year.
Specifically, BYD has processed 22,637 orders within the first six hours from the announcement. The electric sedan is slightly larger than the Tesla Model 3 at 4,800 mm long with 2,920 mm between the axles. It benefits from a drag ratio as low as 0.219 and comes based on the e-platform 3.0 chassis with a built-in battery. The suspension system uses dual wishbones on the front axle and a multi-link design in the back. iTAC traction control enables the car to pass the moose test at 83 km/h (51.6 mph), the company claims.
Like its main rival, the Seal has concealed door handles. Its body kit looks rather aggressive, while the cabin houses a 15.6-inch touchscreen display that you can swivel or pivot between landscape and portrait orientations.
Buyers get to choose from four trim levels. All but the top one come with only one rear-mounted electric motor and between 550 and 700 km (342-435 miles) of range. Choosing the entry spec will set you back 212,800 Yuan.
The flagship spec gets two motors jointly rated at 517 PS (510 hp / 380 kW) and a traction battery holding 82.6 kilowatt-hours of juice. The standard sprint time is 3.8 seconds, and the range is estimated at 650 kilometers (404 miles). At 289,800 Yuan, this version cost similarly to the basic China-spec Tesla Model 3 RWD.
BYD plans to churn out around 60,000 Seals per year. The model is set to debut in Australia in 2023 and may reach other markets later.