The BYD Seagull electric city car was exposed by Chinese MIIT. It has a daring design, several battery options, and a comparatively weak electric motor. It will hit the market this year with a price tag of 60,000 – 100,000 RMB (8,860 – 14,770 USD). Let’s get to know the Seagull better.
We will remind you that the Seagull is the smallest vehicle in BYD’s Ocean series, which currently comprises four vehicles: Seal, Dolphin, Destroyer 05 and Frigate 07 (Corvette 07). These vehicles share the same design language called ‘Marine Aesthetics’.
BYD Seagull Appearance and Dimensions
Let’s crack on with some basics about the BYD Seagull. It is a 5-door hatchback with four seats. In terms of exterior, the Seagull has sharp headlights, a large windshield with a single wiper. It has some plastic trim on the lower part of the body to make it look more like a small SUV. From the back, the Seagull got a sporty roof spoiler and a taillight unit that looks close to the BYD D1 MPV. The Seagull’s overall shape.
It’s interesting that on the fifth door of the BYD Seagull we may notice two other variants of its name. The first one is 海豚Q (Dolphin Q), and the second one is 海豚Mini (Dolphin Mini). It looks like BYD isn’t sure about the Seagull’s name yet.
The Seagull appeared to be slightly bigger than we previously thought. Its exact dimensions are 3780/1715/1540 mm with a wheelbase of 2500 mm. For a comparison, it’s 345 mm shorter, 55 mm narrower and 30 mm lower that the BYD Dolphin. In terms of size, the main competitors of the Seagull are Leap T03, ORA White Cat, Chery Wujie Pro (Unbounded Pro). Back to the Seagull, its curb weight lies in 1160-1240-kg range. It is quite heavy for this small vehicle. The wheels of the Seagull are 165/65 R15 or 175/55 R16.
BYD Seagull Specs
According to the MIIT, the Seagull can be equipped with optional LED headlights. It has an LFP battery on board made by FinDreams, a company under BYD. Its capacity is unknown, but previously there was information that the Seagull’s battery capacity will reach 30.7 kWh. As for the electric motor, it is TZ180XSH for 55 kW (75 hp).
We will remind you that previously we have also seen spy shots of the Seagull’s interior. It generally stays in line with the BYD Dolphin, but has a smaller main screen and a different instrument panel. Its center tunnel has two cup holders and a wireless charging pad. There is a roomy space under the center tunnel with some charging ports.
The Seagull will hit the Chinese market this year. Since it has shown up in the MIIT Announcements, it will soon hit the production line in China. Its price tag is expected to be around of 60,000 – 100,000 RMB (8,860 – 14,770 USD). We will keep an eye on the Seagull, so stay tuned!
Source: MIIT
With a 75 horse e-motor it, the Seagull looks heavier than I’d have thought…at 2,735 pounds.
Is Fin Dreams battery same as, BYD’s battery subsidiary, Fudi Industrial?
Hi, dragn!
I think that 75 horses are not quite enough for the Seagull. As for the battery, we don’t know it’s exact specs so it’s a bit early to tell.
Budget EM with good design. Interested in cooperation with BYD
I was, waiting with quite a lot of interest, to see just what the BYD Seagull was going to be like, because this sort of small ‘city car’ is exactly what a LOT of people in ‘the West’ want, to own, for their own ‘local driving’ use, when they are driving only short distances to do their local shopping, and short distance commuting to work, HOWEVER, it seems TRULY, RIDICULOUS, to me, that BYD would make the Seagull as a 5 door vehicle.!
WHY, would you make such a SMALL, VEHICLE, AS, a 5 door, when, making it INSTEAD, as a 3 DOOR VERSION, would be SO MUCH MORE PRACTICAL, and USEFUL, and APPRECIATED, by SO MANY MORE BUYERS, at least, it would be, most certainly, in ‘the West’, where a SMALL vehicle like this, is usually, driven FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME, BY, ONLY, ONE OCCUPANT, the DRIVER..!!
The IDEAL, VERSION, of this BYD Seagull for use in ‘the West’ would be as a 3 DOOR, version, with only, TWO, LARGER-SIZED, front doors for FAR, EASIER ACCESS, for the most common use of such a small vehicle, by just, the driver, and one passenger, and with only rare, use, to carry more people, as extra passengers..!
So, the IDEAL, ‘Western’ version, of the Seagull, would be as a 3 Door, with TWO, LARGE, front Doors, and with the rear-seats, then having easy, to fold-down backs, to easily, provide much more ‘available Cargo-space’ behind the front seats, with access to the rear Cargo-space gained through, a LARGE sized, Rear Door, with a low bottom lip, on that Door, for easier loading and unloading, of things like the bags of goods gathered from ‘Supermarket shopping’ trips, by women drivers..!
IF, BYD, we’re to actually make SUCH, a 3 Door version, as I have just described, of this small Seagull, EV, available for sale in ‘the West’ at a good value price, I am absolutely sure, that they would have difficulty, in making enough, of them, fast enough, to keep up with the HUGE, customers demands, to buy them…!!
3 door hatchbacks aren’t available anymore in Australia or the US from ANY manufacturer. A 5 door version could not be exported to these markets.
Well said AOF, however I think we are a minority. I love small hatchbacks, and own a 3 door of my own (and the rear seats stay down most of the time). I’d love to have seen the Seagull come in a 3 door variant, even without those rear seats as an option to save weight + improve space. An ultra efficient, small car paired with a blade battery. After all, the Dolphin already comes with 5 seats so that way it would cover all market segments.
However, BYD is selling to both China + Global Markets, and I suspect their market research shows that families are in interested in small EVs… more so than singles/couples… hence the 5 doors.
PS – I love the design of this car and semi-spartan interior. Keep it simple! I hope longer range battery variants become an option later on.
Yes Jas, we too love small 3 door Hatchbacks. We currently own a 3 door, 1.6 litre, Hyundai Getz Hatchback, and with its ‘larger sized’ two front doors, making for very easy entry and exit, access, it is an ideal sized, and economical small city car, for my wife and I to use for all, of our ‘local’ driving requirements, and I am ABSOLUTELY, SURE, that we, are not alone, in our feelings about the large level of customer demand that already exists, for such, a similarly, sized and modestly equipped, small 3 door EV city car vehicle, in ‘the Western’ markets of Australia, and New Zealand, and also in Europe and the UK.
Very curious how it would fare in Japan against the Nissan Sakura. Seems to crush the later on almost all fronts except not being able to get the regulatory benefits of a kei car.
Maniaticos, pensar en personas con problemas de movilidad, y dejar las 5 puertas. La accesibilidad es un valor muy importante y un coche 5 puertas es mas robusto y seguro. Listillos.