BYD India to unveil Seal EV sedan in India on March 5

BYD to launch Seal sedan in India, competing with Tesla Model 3, offering advanced technology and 580 km range.

Chinese electric carmaker BYD’s Seal sedan, which competes with Tesla Model 3 globally, is all set to be unveiled in the Indian market on March 5, said a top official.

“It is already creating a buzz as it competes with Tesla Model 3 globally. We are launching it ahead of them. However, we are not sure whether we have any equivalent electric sedan car in India in the premium category as of now,” said BYD India, Senior Vice President, Electric Passenger Vehicle, Sanjay Gopalakrishnan in an interview.

It is the third offering by BYD in India -- Atto 3 (Sport Utility Vehicle) and e6 (Multi-Utility Vehicle) and Seal (Sedan). The booking will start on March 5 and delivery by March/April.

“Compared with Tesla Model 3, it has more advanced technology and will offer a superior range of 580 km and has superior blade battery and cell-to-body technology. We will import the EV as a completely built unit from China. Our first priority is to establish brand pull and image in the EV space, maintain premiumness and luxury and stabilise the products,” he said.

Mentioning that they were selling reasonable numbers of SUVs and MUVs in India, he said BYD India can think of having its own assembly lines, once it reaches the right numbers.

According to him, the carmaker has 24 outlets in Tier-1 and 2 cities and more will be opened soon to cover big markets and towns.

“The EV car penetration in Chennai and Coimbatore is slower compared to Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kerala due to cosmopolitan climate, large presence of MNCs, IT firms and huge population of traders and businessmen alike. So, we have to open more cities,” he said.