The BYD Seagull appears rather a lot just like the venerable Chevy Bolt EV, however is available in at a literal fraction of the worth… however with a fraction of the specs as nicely. As BYD expects to move Tesla in World EV gross sales this 12 months by increasing its markets with considerably lower-priced automobiles, will we begin seeing these hyper-cheap merchandise exterior of BYD’s house market of China?

For these of you on the lookout for a Chevy Bolt apart from a 3rd of the fee and what seems to be a 3rd the facility and fewer than half the battery pack, the BYD Seagull is likely to be good for you… as long as you’re in China or soon-to-be export market. Listed here are the necessary specs:

• Dimensions: 3780/1715/1540mm with a wheelbase of 2500 mm
• Battery: LFP (made by FinDreams) ~30kWh
• Motor: 55 kW (75 hp)
• Value: 60,000 – 100,000 RMB ($8,860 – $14,770 USD)
• Launch scheduled for April 2023

Examine this to the Chevy Bolt EV which has a 150kW (200hp) motor, 65kWh of battery, and a really low for the US base value of $26,000 (discover one close by right here). Dimensions in mm are: 4145/1765/1611 with a 2600mm wheelbase, making the Bolt barely greater throughout, however notably in size.

We’re seeing the primary uncovered appears of the 5-door, 4-person BYD Seagull automobile floating round Chinese language social media this week in addition to the Chinese language Ministry of Expertise. CarnewsChina gathered a couple of of the pictures:

Does it seem like a Chevy Bolt EV? That’s clearly subjective, however right here’s a white 2019 Bolt for comparability:

Perhaps “knockoff” is simply too sturdy a phrase?

A report final month stated the BYD Seagull may attain its low value level by utilizing sodium batteries, which might be charged to 80% in quarter-hour. One other report stated there additionally might be a “efficiency” Seagull with a 44.9-kWh battery and an electrical motor of 130 kW (177 hp). That’s about midway to Bolt specs.

It isn’t simply the outside that bares a passing resemblance to the Bolt. A take a look at the inside by way of Weibo exhibits what seems to be a passing resemblance.

Electrek’s Take

We would joke about an EV beginning within the $8000 value level, but when EVs are going to take over the world, these are the worth factors carmakers are going to must hit. European and US carmakers may not be fascinated by these decrease value markets, but when had been to take away CO2 from the air, everybody needs to be on board.

As for the Seagull, I believe this automotive appears suspiciously just like the Chevy Bolt EV, nevertheless it doesn’t play in the identical markets or value factors, so we’ll give it a move. I don’t know if a 75 horsepower automotive would even be relevant to US roads, nevertheless it might be fairly widespread elsewhere. We’ll must see. Anticipate to listen to extra by April when the Seagull hits the streets.