Cheap BYD electric cars on their way to Israel: Walla Cars reported that the Chinese electric car manufacturer has decided to launch in Europe the Seagull mini car and one of its small crossover models, which will also allow for their sale in Israel. However, the European versions of these two models will only be launched in 2026.
The Seagull sold 280,000 units in China last year, after its production started in April and has since accelerated. In December alone, 58,000 cars were sold, with a production rate of about 700,000 cars per year, even before its widespread export.
The Chinese Seagull has a 75 kW engine, a maximum speed limited by a computer to 130 km/h, and in its most expensive version, it has a range of 405 km according to the optimistic Chinese standard, with a 39 kWh battery, with the option of fast charging at a rate of 40 kW. With a length of 3.78 meters, a width of 1.71 meters, a height of 1.54 meters, and a wheelbase of 2.5 meters, it is 18 cm longer, 12 cm wider, and 6 cm taller than the Kia Picanto. Its wheelbase is 10 cm longer.
In China, the more expensive version of the Seagull costs about half the price of a fully-equipped ATTO 3, meaning an Israeli price of less than NIS 80,000. The Kia Picanto now starts at NIS 95,000. However, by 2026, two more rounds of raising the purchase tax on electric vehicles are planned, which will bring it to 52% instead of the current 35%, so a price of less than NIS 100,000 in another two years is still possible.
BYD will also launch one by one of its two small crossover models, the Yuan UP that will officially be revealed in another two months, and the Pro that started selling in 2021 and underwent a facelift last year. The UP, with a length of 4.3 meters – like the European Dolphin – is offered in China with a 45 kWh battery, a range of 401 km in the Chinese standard, and a maximum speed of 160 km/h. The Pro, slightly larger, with a length of 4.37 meters and a 47 kWh battery giving it similar performance, is equipped with a desirable accessory among crossover buyers: a spare wheel mounted on the rear door, for a rugged appearance. The price of both in China is about 15% cheaper than the Dolphin, which starts at NIS 144,000 in Israel.
Both the Sigal and the crossover will undergo adaptation for the European market, mainly to ensure a 5-star rating in the European crash test, and are likely to receive larger batteries.
BYD completed its first full year of operations in Israel in 2023 with deliveries of more than 15,000 cars and ranked fourth in deliveries, after Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota. This year it will launch next month the SEAL Sedan that will compete with the Tesla Model 3 and the Hyundai Ioniq 6, in the middle of the year the SEAL U crossover will be launched, positioned between its ATTO 3 and the Tesla Model Y, and in early 2025 the E7, the export version of the Chinese Song Plus presented last year, as a modern crossover based on the SEAL Sedan.
With the pair of leaking models, BYD is expected to threaten Hyundai’s market leadership in terms of sales volume in 2026, subject to the impacts of the planned increase in purchase tax and the imposition of a planned travel tax on electric sales in the country.