Signed, Sealed,

HAS THE EV REVOLUTION HIT THE ROCKS? PERHAPS NOTHING SO dramatic, but the market does seem to be slowing. Natural growing pains, perhaps, as the first wave of early adopters have made the switch, and the next wave of potential buyers may prove harder to convince.

Part of the problem is the range of vehicles on offer. Most manufacturers have started with premium EVs, hoping the higher sticker price will pay off the huge investment in product development more rapidly. There’s not a lot of choice at prices under £35,000.

But this creates a hole at the bottom of the market. Many potential EV buyers can’t find anything that’s affordable, and so long as the established manufacturers chase the top end of the market the market for smaller and cheaper cars goes unserviced.

The car business, like nature, abhors a vacuum. And if established manufacturers won’t tackle the growth potential lower down the market, new entrants can find a space to exploit.

And in the electric vehicle market, there are no shortage of new entrants. And, perhaps worryingly for the established automakers, they’re coming from China.

There are still executives in the car industry who can remember the growth of the Japanese in the 1970s, and the Korean automakers from the 1990s. Companies such as Nissan and Hyundai started from a low base and built slowly to a strong position. But China is different –especially when it comes to EVs.

The Chinese electric car market is already huge – around 8 million cars last year, accounting for around 25% of Chinese car production. Thanks to lower costs and a focus on affordability, the average EV in China cost around €32,000 in 2022, compared to an average of €56,000 in Europe.

And the leading Chinese EV brand is the one whose car we’re testing here – BYD. BYD is no minnow. Launched in 1995, its main business is batteries. There’s a fair chance that you own a device – a phone or a laptop – powered by a BYD battery. And BYD is a substantial car maker too. Forget Tesla – the biggest EV maker in the world is – you guessed it – BYD. It was on course to deliver more than 2 million EVs in 2023 (it sold 1.79m between January and August) and it’s the fourth-largest car brand in the world.

So its arrival here is something that needs to be taken seriously. Forget the faltering steps BYD took 15-20 years ago, when it showed up

at European motor shows with big ideas and underwhelming vehicles. BYD has used the intervening years refining its products and. Crucially, tailoring them for European tastes.

The BYD Seal, on test here, is the third BYD model to be launched in the UK, following the Atto 3 compact SUV, a direct rival to the Kia Niro and VW ID.3, and the BYD Dolphin, a compact hatchback that competes with another Chinese EV, the MG4, with a price tag of around £25,000.

The Seal is no budget model, though. Here is a stylish saloon car that is aimed squarely at the Tesla 3, as well as other new entrants such as the Hyundai Ioniq6. And judging from our first experience of the car, it matches them pretty well in terms of build quality and feel.

The BYD Seal is available in the UK in two trim levels: one with an 80kWh rear-wheel drive train and the other with an 80 kWh all-wheel drivetrain, with WLTP range of 323 miles (Excellence –AWD) and 354 miles for the RWD Design variant, which we are testing here. Very much on the money compared to key rivals, making, say, London to Newcastle possible on a single charge.

It’s not cheap – at £45,695 for RWD and £48,695 for AWD it’s head-to-head with the Ioniq6 at £46,260 and actually more expensive than the Tesla 3, which recently saw its price cut to £39,000. While BYD is certainly playing in the lower end of the price scale, this car is very much mainstream.

It looks the part – very much the modern, aerodynamic profile you’d expect from an EV.

Not as bland as a Tesla, but with a European minimalism to its styling. Hardly surprising as the Seal was designed by Wolfgang Egger, who has served as head of design at Alfa Romeo and Audi, before heading to BYD as design chief in 2017.

There’s a nautical vibe to the styling – not for nothing are BYD cars named after marine creatures. The design has flowing lines inside and out, which makes the driving position easy on the eye. The cabin is dominated by two digital displays – a large, 15.6in central screen that has a very neat trick – it can be rotated 90 degrees at the push of a button from landscape to portrait format, giving a bigger map view or allowing a top/ bottom split screen.

The system is intuitive and easy to use, once you get used to the menus. Some functions are rather buried – for example the heated seat controls. It has neat features such as a Spotify button to access streaming services as well as DAB radio. A smaller 10.3in digital dash panel can also be used to control the infotainment, via steering column buttons.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, but only through a wired connection. The installation is a bit crude, and you lose some of the system’s functionality on CarPlay, including the rotating screen.

On the centre console there are two wireless charging docks for mobile phones. The position can be adjusted and angled for a better view of the phone screen.

The drive selector (simple DNR switch) is also on the centre console, and is surrounded by a number of buttons and dials allowing simple control on drive modes, radio volume, screen demist and heater fan. The Tesla-style all-on-the screen approach has rightly been ignored.

Usability is matched by a very smooth on-the-road performance, with precise handling, flat cornering and very little cabin noise, as you’d expect from an EV.

The rear seat is a three-seater bench, with a built-in folding centre armrest – the car is wide enough for three, but a lot more comfortable for two.

There’s a sizeable 402-litre boot as well as an additional 53-litre ‘frunk’ under the bonnet. You could use this wisely to store the two substantial charging cables that are provided.

BYD is primarily a battery maker, so it’s no surprise to find a fair amount of innovation in the powertrain. For a start, BYD’s batteries are not the same as the nickel-manganese-cobalt combination used in most other EV batteries. Instead, BY uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which contains fewer rare earth materials, including no cobalt, the mining of which has attracted much criticism.

BYD also claims the technology has a far lower risk of thermal runaway when damaged, as well as a longer life that is not affected by being fully charged or discharged – so you can happily charge to 100%, not 80%. On the downside, you need a bigger and heavier unit for the same number of kWh, and they can’t charge as fast as some other batteries. This makes the Seal quite heavy for its size – the AWD version is more than 2.1 tonnes, almost 400kg more than a Tesla Model 3.

The BYD Seal offers an 11kW 3-phase on-board charger for AC home charging, and can be fast charged with a maximum 150kW, allowing the battery to be charged from 30% to 80% in 26 minutes.

VERDICT

The BYD Seal is the first Chinese Brand Car to provide a real alternative for private hire operators looking to buy a mid-sized electric saloon. And it is a proper car-shaped car, not a faux-SUV, which will enhance its appeal within the private hire market.

It’s pitched as a premium product, though really its competitors are the likes of Hyundai, VW and Tesla. It’s stylish, without breaking any moulds, and build quality is every bit as good as established brands – though it remains to be seen how durable the car will be in service.

While Chinese brands are expected to grow sales from the bottom of the market, the BYD Seal is very much a mainstream car, and it’s priced accordingly. In fact the Tesla 3 undercuts it, rather than the other way round.

We like the fact that BYD has addressed some of the concerns that may be putting off car buyers. There is no Cobalt in the battery pack, for example, and the batteries are less liable to burn uncontrollably if they are damaged in a serious crash.

On the downside, the batteries can’t charge as fast as a Tesla (250kW) or a Hyundai (350kW), though in practice, if you can get a 350kW charger to charge at a stable 150kW, it’ll recharge as fast as it can, and you won’t be stopped for much more than 40 minutes.

BYD is a company that did most of its learning over the past 28 years in its domestic market, and as a result, its first tranche of export models are highly competitive. There are no supply issues, and BYD wants to attack all sectors of the market. An impressive new entrant.