BYD prepares larger Yuan Max SUV to boost its EV sales

In November alone, BYD sold over 480,000 vehicles. Most car companies would celebrate those numbers, but BYD always looks for ways to grow even more. Their latest plan involves a new SUV called the Yuan Max. This new model should help the popular Yuan series reach even more drivers. Even though the Yuan series is a top seller, its sales have dropped a little bit recently. Adding a bigger, better version might be just what the brand needs to keep its lead.

Recent spy photos from China show a car covered in blue camouflage patterns. Car companies try to hide new designs before they are ready, but this secret is likely out. Even with the stickers, we can see the front of the car looks a lot like the current Yuan Plus. The car also has door handles that sit almost flush with the body. Inside the car, there is a big clue about its name. The steering wheel has the Chinese character "元" (Yuan) right in the middle, confirming that the vehicle belongs to the famous Yuan family of electric cars.

Size is one of the most important things for people buying cars today. The Yuan Max is not a tiny city car - according to the latest reports, it is about the same size as another BYD model called the Song Pro, which is 15.52 ft long, and it has a wheelbase of 8.89 ft. Compare that to the current Yuan Plus, which only measures 14.6 ft in length, and the new Max model appears to be much longer.

There's a possibility the new car might be named the Yuan L instead of the Yuan Max, but whatever name BYD chooses, the goal remains the same. They want to offer more choices to people who want affordable EVs. Right now, the Yuan series includes the Yuan Up and the Yuan Plus. These cars are quite affordable with prices starting at RMB 74,800, which is about $10,700. The most expensive versions start from RMB 147,800, or roughly $21,100. This low price point explains why BYD sells so many of these vehicles every month.

The sales data for November shows why BYD is working so hard on this new SUV. The Yuan series sold 47,835 units during that month. Although that sounds like a lot of cars, it is actually just over 15 percent lower than the same time last year. It is also a small drop of 2.18 percent from the month before. It seems even the most popular electric cars can have a slow month. Between January and November, BYD sold a total of 393,062 Yuan vehicles. This makes up nearly 10 percent of all the cars BYD sold during that time.

In November, BYD sold 480,186 New Energy Vehicles. This was their best month for the entire year. But if you look at the numbers from last year, the total sales actually went down by 5.25 percent. It turns out that selling nearly half a million cars in 30 days still leaves room for improvement.

The new SUV fills a gap between the smaller hatchbacks and the much larger family haulers, and by giving drivers a car that is a bit longer, but still part of the affordable Yuan family, BYD is making it harder for other companies to compete. Everyone likes a bargain, especially when that bargain comes with more trunk space. We will have to wait and see if the Yuan Max can turn those falling sales numbers around when it finally hits the streets without its camouflage.

Via