BYD introduces new Seal 07 with 438-mile range and megawatt charging

BYD has unveiled an all-electric version of its mid-sized Seal 07 saloon, as the Chinese giant looks to take the fight to the BMW i5 and upcoming Lexus ES.

Available in two yet-to-be-announced trim levels, both versions of the electric-only BYD Seal 07 are powered by a 69kWh battery promising a range of up to 438 miles on the generous Chinese CLTC cycle.

Visually close to the existing Seal 07 DM-i plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sibling, the Seal 07 EV has a smooth front end, slim headlights, and a trapezoidal grille not dissimilar to that of the Tesla Model 3-rivalling standard BYD Seal.

Measuring 4.9 metres long, 1.9 metres wide, and 1.5 metres tall, the BYD Seal 07 is powered by a rear-mounted electric motor producing 326bhp. Starting from 169,900 Chinese yuan – the equivalent of around £18,500 – the BYD significantly undercuts the BMW and the Lexus in the pricing stakes.

Inside, the BYD Seal 07 remains consistent with the 07 DM-i. The driver gets a two-spoke multifunction steering wheel and a fully-embedded digital instrument binnacle, while BYD’s signature floating infotainment screen is mounted in the middle of the dash. The centre console has a dual charging pad, two cupholders, a rotary dial and, like its Atto 2 crossover, a row of physical buttons to manage the car’s controls.

Images of the Seal 07 show a roof-mounted LiDAR unit, and BYD confirmed it will come with its upgraded ‘God’s Eye’ 5.0 AI-driven autonomous driving system when it goes on sale later this year.

The same event saw BYD announce its Sealion 06 EV SUV (pictured above), which replaces the Sealion 05. Priced from 159,900 yuan – approximately £17,400 – BYD’s latest SUV has a 441-mile range, according to CLTC estimates.

While God’s Eye autonomous driving is an option on the Sealion 06, it does come with BYD’s clever DiSus-C intelligent body control system and a high-speed tyre blowout stabilisation system, which kicks in at speeds up to 87mph.

Both the Seal 07 and BYD Sealion 06 will come with BYD’s second-generation blade battery and its latest flash-charging tech. According to BYD, this means both cars’ batteries can be charged from 10% to 97% in just nine minutes.

BYD flash chargers offer ultra-rapid charging speeds of up to megawatt (1,000kW) – the equivalent of 1.2 miles per second, or 250 miles in around five minutes.

Earlier this year, BYD UK chief, Bono Ge, confirmed that it will install 300 megawatt chargers across the UK later this year to support the debut of its premium Denza brand in the UK market. However, it is unconfirmed whether the Seal 07 and the Sealion 06 will come here.