Suvrat Kothari
While the U.S. keeps Chinese automakers at arm’s length with newly announced tariffs to protect its century-old domestic auto industry, Europe is already seeing an influx of affordable EVs from that country. Now we see the debut of one of the most important ones yet: the BYD Seagull, starting at just under $10,000 in its home market. This kicks off today’s Critical Materials, your daily roundup of news and events shaping up the burgeoning EV industry. Also in today’s newsletter: Tesla slashes Model Y production at the Gigafactory Shanghai in the wake of declining sales and brutal competition, and Lucid Motors cuts 400 jobs as it aims to restructure and reduce costs. 30%: Sub-$10,000 BYD Seagull To Enter Europe Next Year Legacy brands in Europe need to brace for impact. The highly acclaimed BYD Seagull, also known as the BYD Dolphin Mini in Mexico, will land in Europe next year. It’s not a straightforward path for BYD to sell the EVs at irresistible prices in Europe as it does in China or Mexico. Despite this, BYD executives are confident that the Seagull will be highly competitive in the European market. The Seagull is a great representation of how far Chinese EVs have come in terms of price and quality. Starting at $9,700 (69,800 yuan), the mini EV is powered by BYD’s cutting-edge Blade batteries, available in either 30 kilowatt-hour or 38 kWh capacities. That’s enough to deliver 190 miles (305 km) and 252 miles (405 km) of CLTC range. Despite the low price, BYD has stuffed it with premium features. It offers a large 10.1-inch infotainment screen and items like cruise control and fast wireless charging. And that means European automakers like Renault and Stellantis will need to pull up their sleeves and make their products more competitive.
https://insideevs.com/news/720912/cheap-byd-seagull-ev-is-coming-for-europe/