BYD (Build Your Dreams) was the world’s top selling electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer in 2023 and is the biggest motoring brand in China, but low sales volumes have kept the brand under the local radar since it was introduced in SA about a year ago.
The Chinese firm’s global rise has been impressive after being formed just 21 years ago.
BYD Auto has grown to become the third biggest car company in the world based on market capitalisation behind first-placed Tesla and second-placed Toyota. It employs more than 1-million people globally, sells vehicles in 84 countries and expects to sell its 10-millionth vehicle before the end of 2024. In 2022, BYD ended production of purely internal combustion engined cars to focus on new-energy vehicles (battery-electric cars and petrol-electric hybrids).
Locally, BYD’s presence has been muted since it entered the market in June 2023 as it offers only EVs, a niche market in SA, and has just five dealers plus a parts warehouse in Johannesburg.
However, the Chinese carmaker plans to become a bigger force by growing its dealer footprint to 25 facilities by the end of 2025 and introducing new models, starting with the Seal electric premium sedan, which arrives in local showrooms this week.
Speaking at a media briefing in Gauteng this week, BYD SA MD Steve Chang said the Seal is launched in two versions: the rear-wheel drive Seal Lux EXT priced at R999,900 and the all-wheel drive Seal Lux Performance for R1,199,900.
The rear-wheel drive has outputs of 230kW and 360Nm, with a claimed 570km range and the ability to tackle the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.8 seconds. The mightier AWD model has 390kW and 670Nm for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds, and a 520km range. The prices include an 11kW home charger and a maintenance plan.
BYD says the battery can be charged from 30% to 80% in 26 minutes on a DC charger with a capacity of 150kW. The luxury sedan has high-end features including power adjustable front seats with ventilation and heating, a multimedia touchscreen with rotation function in landscape or portrait format, head-up display and a full gamut of driving assistance features including high-beam assist, lane-keeping assist and intelligent cruise control.
The electric Atto 3 crossover, launched in June 2023 with a starting price of R768,000, was BYD’s first passenger car in SA, and was followed by the Dolphin launched in April 2024 as one of the country’s most affordable EVs at R539,900.
The brand has sold only a few hundred units so far, compared with Chinese rivals such as Chery and GWM/Haval, which have become household names and outsell long-standing marques such as BMW, Renault, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz.
The high-priced Seal is a niche car that is unlikely to move the needle much, but BYD’s local presence is expected to grow more significantly with the launch of two new SUVs in the next few months, including plug-in hybrids that claim impressive ranges and are more practical than slow-charging EVs.
The Song Plus compact SUV is BYD’s best-selling SUV in China and will arrive in South Africa as a DM-i plug-in hybrid pairing a 1.5l petrol engine with an electric motor. It has a claimed fuel economy of 4.5l/100km and a range of 1,200km.
Also coming soon is the Song L, a midsized SUV equipped with BYD’s latest fifth-generation plug-in hybrid system, claimed to have a fuel consumption of 2.9l/100km and an astonishing range of 2,100km. More details and prices of the new models will be communicated when they are launched.
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