BYD to launch an even more affordable electric city car, starts under $13,000

BYD has climbed the ranks quickly in Australia with the Atto 3 coming in as the third best-selling EV in 2022. It was also Australia’s most affordable ground-up EV. 

In 2023, the brand has even bolder ambitions with the launch of more affordable models, including an extremely affordable city electric hatchback. 

This hatchback is called the BYD Seagull and has a starting price – in China – at the equivalent of $12,750 AUD and goes up to $21,250 AUD. It’s expected to be launched in its local market later this year.

The details of this model emerged recently in the Chinese media after an application for the BYD Seagull was submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). 

This approval application included technical data and images of the compact city EV. It’s also seen to be part of the ocean series of cars like the Dolphin hatchback which was spotted testing in Sydney in recent months.

Technical details of the motor and the battery pack have also been submitted to MIIT. The BYD Seagull is expected to have a front-mounted electric motor with a maximum output of 55 kW. For comparison, the Atto 3 motor produces 150 kW while the Dolphin’s output is rated at 70 kW. 

The battery which will power the motor detailed in the application includes a 30.7 kWh lithium-phosphate-iron (LFP) pack. This battery will be made by FinDreams which is a subsidiary of BYD, specialising in battery technology alone. There have also been rumours that the Seagull may also come equipped with a sodium-ion battery.

From a dimensions point of view, the submitted application reveals BYD Seagull to be a bit smaller than the Dolphin. The noted dimensions are:

• 3,780 mm in length

• 1,715 in width

• 1,540 in height

Along with that, the wheelbase is 2,500 mm long.

As a comparison to the bigger city car, the BYD Seagull is 345 mm shorter in length along with 30 mm lower than its bigger city counterpart.

The Seagull also has an indicated weight of between 1,160 – 1,240 kg. It will be offered with either 15-inch or 16-inch wheels. The Dolphin is produced with slightly bigger 17-inch wheels.

As a 5-door hatchback, it’d do well as a city car as well as in ride-sharing. Given Dolphin is slated for many markets including ours in Australia, we may even see a similar city car from BYD that’s destined for our shores in the next 24 months.

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.