BYD Seal U: range, price, specs and where it is sold
Facts checked
The Seal U is the battery-electric version of the SUV that China calls the Song Plus. It is one of the clearest examples of BYD's split naming: at home the car sits in the Dynasty series as the Song Plus EV, while for export BYD renamed it into the Ocean series as the Seal U, so the Chinese and export names share nothing.
European cars use Blade batteries of 71.8 or 87 kWh, both driving the front wheels through a single 160 kW motor. BYD quotes 420 km of WLTP combined range for the smaller battery and 500 km for the larger, with 140 kW DC charging. The car measures 4,785 mm long on a 2,765 mm wheelbase.
It is a left-hand-drive model only, which is why the United Kingdom and Ireland get the plug-in hybrid Seal U DM-i instead. Euro NCAP tested this car, and its 2023 five-star result was recorded specifically against the electric version; the same result underpins ANCAP's rating for the plug-in hybrid sold in Australia as the Sealion 6.
Key facts
| Name in Chinese | 宋PLUS EV “SOONG plus E-V” 宋 Sòng is the Song dynasty (AD 960 to 1279); PLUS marks the larger of BYD's two Song SUVs |
|---|---|
| Brand | BYD |
| Body | SUV, segment C |
| Powertrain | Battery-electric |
| Launched | China 2021; export 2024 |
| Headline output | 160 kW |
| Battery | 71.8 kWh or 87 kWh |
| Dimensions | 4,785 × 1,890 × 1,668 mm, wheelbase 2,765 mm |
What it is called where
The same car carries different names in different markets. This is the crosswalk, so a reader who knows one name can find the other.
| Market | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| China | Song Plus EV 宋PLUS EV | |
| European Union | Seal U | Left-hand drive only; not sold in the United Kingdom or Ireland. |
| Export markets | Seal U |
Range
| Range | Cycle | Variant |
|---|---|---|
| 500 km WLTP | WLTP | 87 kWh Design, combined |
| 674 km WLTP | WLTP | 87 kWh Design, city |
| 420 km WLTP | WLTP | 71.8 kWh Comfort, combined |
| 576 km WLTP | WLTP | 71.8 kWh Comfort, city |
Price
No price is published for this model in the data set.
Where the Seal U is sold
| Market | Status | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Sold | April 2021 | On sale in China as the Song Plus EV from April 2021. BYD's Chinese site did not list a Song Plus in its September 2026 index, so the nameplate may have been superseded at home; this was not confirmed by BYD. |
| Germany | Sold | February 2024 | Unveiled in Europe in September 2023 and on sale from February 2024; BYD Germany quotes up to 500 km WLTP. |
| United Kingdom | Never sold | The battery-electric Seal U is left-hand drive only and is not sold in the United Kingdom. BYD UK sells the plug-in hybrid Seal U DM-i instead. | |
| Australia | Never sold | Australia sells only the plug-in hybrid version of this body, badged Sealion 6. | |
| Thailand | Never sold | The battery-electric Seal U is built in left-hand drive only, and Thailand drives on the left. | |
| Mexico | Never sold | BYD Mexico lists the plug-in hybrid Song Plus DM-i, not the battery-electric version. | |
| Brazil | Never sold | BYD Brazil lists the plug-in hybrid version of this body. | |
| Japan | Never sold | BYD Japan lists the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid, not the battery-electric Seal U. | |
| United States | Never sold | BYD has never retailed passenger vehicles in the United States. |
Crash-test results
Quoted from the testing bodies. This site does not rate cars itself.
| Body | Year | Stars | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euro NCAP | 2023 | 5 | Read the Euro NCAP result |
BYD Seal U: questions people ask
- What is the range of a BYD Seal U?
- BYD quotes 500 km of combined WLTP range for the 87 kWh version and 420 km for the 71.8 kWh version, with city figures of 674 and 576 km.
- Why can't I buy a Seal U in the United Kingdom?
- The battery-electric Seal U is built in left-hand drive only. BYD UK sells the plug-in hybrid Seal U DM-i instead, which is the same body with a different powertrain.
- What is the Seal U called in China?
- 宋PLUS EV (Sòng PLUS EV), the Song Plus EV. Song is a Chinese dynasty and the car belongs to BYD's Dynasty series at home, even though its export name places it in the Ocean series.
- Is the Seal U the same as the Sealion 6?
- They are the same body. The Seal U is the battery-electric version; the Sealion 6, called Seal U DM-i in Europe, is the plug-in hybrid version of the same car.
- Is the BYD Seal U safe?
- Euro NCAP gave it five stars in 2023, testing the electric left-hand-drive version, with 90 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent child, 83 per cent vulnerable road user and 77 per cent safety assist.
Related
Sources for the BYD Seal U
- BYD Germany, BYD SEAL U. Read . Up to 500 km WLTP, 87 kWh battery, dimensions and 140 kW DC charging
- BYD Europe B.V., Seal U specification sheet (EU). Read . WLTP combined and city ranges for both trims, 160 kW output, dimensions and torque
- Euro NCAP, BYD SEAL-U — Euro NCAP assessment. Read . Five-star 2023 rating recorded against the electric left-hand-drive car
- BYD Europe, BYD SEAL U. Read . European model page confirming the 500 km WLTP and 87 kWh headline
- Wikipedia, BYD Song Plus. Read . Cited as the only source located for the April 2021 Chinese on-sale date, the February 2024 European launch and the left-hand-drive-only restriction
- BYD Japan, BYD Japan model line-up. Read . Japanese line-up confirmed as Atto 3, Dolphin, Racco, Seal, Sealion 6 and Sealion 7