BYD Seagull officially launches in China - starts from $10,600

After unveiling its most expensive electric vehicle ever - the YangWang U8 - BYD went back to its usual business and it finally took the covers of the Seagull. This 5-door electric hatchback is exactly what we came to expect from BYD - value.

BYD Seagull falls into the category of micro-electric cars in China although it isn’t actually that small. At 3.78 meters in length, it is longer than Dacia Spring, electric Fiat 500, and Renault Twingo. It beats them at the costs as well since it is priced from RMB 73,800 which translates to just over $10,600 or €9,600.

There is only one option when it comes to power - a single electric with 55 kW power output and 135 Nm of torque. The company claims that the Seagull can sprint from 0 to 50 km/h in just 4.9 seconds which should be enough for quick city driving.

The motor is coupled with either a 30.08 kWh or 38.88 kWh battery pack. The range is quoted at 305 km and 405 km respectively and it takes only 30 minutes to recharge those batteries from 30% to 80% SoC.

Seagull becomes BYD’s cheapest electric vehicle and it will compete in a highly contested market of sub-RMB 100,000 vehicles. Last year Chinese automakers sold over 3.8 million vehicles in this segment which represents over 19% share of the entire automotive market in China.

The company hopes that Seagull will attract younger buyers as well as families looking for a second vehicle. With the 10,000 units ordered in the first 24 hours of opening sales, Seagull looks to be a hot commodity. BYD has ambitious plans of selling 3 million vehicles this year and becoming China’s No.1 automaker.

Via