BYD Seal: range, price, specs and where it is sold
Facts checked
The Seal is BYD's electric saloon and the first car to combine two of the company's signature technologies: e-Platform 3.0 and cell-to-body construction, in which the Blade battery is a structural part of the floor rather than a box bolted underneath. It went on sale in China in July 2022 and reached Europe in September 2023.
European cars use an 82.5 kWh Blade pack in both trims. The rear-drive version is quoted at 570 km on the WLTP cycle and 230 kW; the all-wheel-drive version at 520 km and 390 kW, with 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds. BYD publishes a drag coefficient of 0.219 and a 72-litre front boot in addition to the 485-litre rear one. China also offers a smaller 61.4 kWh battery, with CLTC figures spanning 550 to 700 km.
It is one of the most widely exported BYD models, sold in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico and Brazil. Both Euro NCAP and ANCAP awarded it five stars in 2023 with almost identical scores, 89 per cent for adult occupant protection in each.
Key facts
| Name in Chinese | 海豹 “HIGH-bao” 海 hǎi 'sea' + 豹 bào 'leopard' — the ordinary Chinese word for a seal, the animal |
|---|---|
| Brand | BYD |
| Body | Saloon, segment D |
| Powertrain | Battery-electric |
| Launched | China 2022; export 2023 |
| Platform | e-Platform 3.0 with cell-to-body battery integration |
| Headline output | 390 kW |
| Battery | 61.4 kWh or 82.5 kWh |
| Dimensions | 4,800 × 1,875 × 1,460 mm, wheelbase 2,920 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 | Seal 海豹 | |
| Export markets | Seal |
Range
| Range | Cycle | Variant |
|---|---|---|
| 570 km WLTP | WLTP | 82.5 kWh rear-wheel drive (published in the UK as 354 miles) |
| 520 km WLTP | WLTP | 82.5 kWh all-wheel drive (published in the UK as 323 miles) |
| 650 km NEDC | NEDC | Premium, Australia |
| 580 km NEDC | NEDC | Performance, Australia |
| 700 km CLTC | CLTC | China, longest published |
| 550 km CLTC | CLTC | China, shortest published |
Price
| Where | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AU, Premium, from BYD Australia's own configurator; Performance A$61,990 | AUD 52,990 as of |
Where the Seal is sold
| Market | Status | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Sold | July 2022 | Announced May 2022, on sale July 2022, deliveries from August. BYD's Chinese Ocean-series index listed only the 海豹06, 海豹07 and 海豹08 in September 2026, so the original nameplate may have been superseded at home; this was not confirmed by BYD. |
| United Kingdom | Sold | 2023 | Sold in the United Kingdom; BYD publishes a MY26 specification leaflet for it. |
| Germany | Sold | 2023 | Listed in BYD Germany's electric range at up to 570 km WLTP. |
| Australia | Sold | October 2023 | On sale in Australia and New Zealand from October 2023 per ANCAP's rating page. |
| Japan | Sold | Listed in BYD Japan's line-up. | |
| Mexico | Sold | Listed by BYD Mexico as the Seal EV. | |
| Brazil | Sold | Listed by BYD Brazil. | |
| 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 |
| ANCAP | 2023 | 5 | Read the ANCAP result |
BYD Seal: questions people ask
- What is the range of a BYD Seal?
- European cars are quoted at 570 km WLTP for the rear-wheel-drive version and 520 km for all-wheel drive, both on an 82.5 kWh battery. In Australia BYD quotes 650 and 580 km on the older NEDC cycle, and Chinese figures span 550 to 700 km CLTC.
- How much does a BYD Seal cost?
- BYD Australia's configurator listed A$52,990 for the Premium and A$61,990 for the Performance in September 2026. BYD does not publish list prices on its Chinese, United Kingdom or German model pages.
- Where is the BYD Seal sold?
- China, the United Kingdom, Germany and much of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico and Brazil. It is not sold in the United States.
- What is the BYD Seal called in China?
- 海豹 (Hǎibào), which is simply the Chinese word for the animal. It belongs to BYD's Ocean series, where models are named after sea creatures.
- Is the BYD Seal safe?
- Euro NCAP gave it five stars in 2023, scoring 89 per cent adult occupant, 87 per cent child occupant, 82 per cent vulnerable road user and 76 per cent safety assist. ANCAP awarded five stars the same year with nearly identical figures.
Related
Sources for the BYD Seal
- BYD Europe B.V., SEAL MY26 UK Leaflet. Read . Dimensions, 82.5 kWh battery, WLTP ranges in miles, power outputs, drag coefficient, boot and frunk volumes
- BYD Australia, BYD SEAL. Read . Australian NEDC and WLTP range figures and power outputs
- BYD Australia, BYD SEAL configurator. Read . Australian prices for Premium and Performance
- Euro NCAP, BYD SEAL — Euro NCAP assessment. Read . Five-star 2023 rating and category scores
- ANCAP, BYD SEAL — Safety Rating & Report. Read . Five-star 2023 rating, category scores and Australian on-sale date
- BYD UK, BYD e-Platform 3.0. Read . BYD's own description of the platform
- Wikipedia, BYD Seal. Read . Cited as the only source located for the 61.4 kWh Chinese battery option, the 550 to 700 km CLTC span and the September 2023 European launch
- BYD Japan, BYD Japan model line-up. Read . Japanese line-up confirmed as Atto 3, Dolphin, Racco, Seal, Sealion 6 and Sealion 7