Thunderbolt on the automobile market: a major Chinese manufacturer is preparing to market a very low-cost electric car in Europe. And this is not a discount vehicle, far from it!
Electric cars are attracting more and more consumers around the world, including in France. But if many motorists are attracted by its environmental qualities and its cost of using this technology, many are held back by the extremely high price of vehicles. Despite the Government’s ecological bonus, and without even mentioning luxury brands like Tesla or BMW, it often costs more than 30,000 euros to afford an electric car with decent range, equipment and performance, which is not enough. It’s not within everyone’s reach.
Fortunately, things should change very soon with the arrival of much more accessible models. And it is from China that the truly “popular” electric cars will undoubtedly come from. The country has in fact taken an enormous lead in this area to the point of taking the lead in the world market. Several Chinese manufacturers intend to launch an attack on Europe with affordable vehicles. Starting with BYD with its Seagull, expected at the end of the year on the Old Continent.
Announced a few months ago, the Seagull has already caused a sensation with its unbeatable price. And for good reason, it is sold for around 9,000 euros in China! And despite this very low price, it offers high-end services, well above European standards, with for example a rotating touch screen or a wireless charging system for smartphones, all in an elegant and modern design which has no nothing to envy of the most prestigious brands.
On a technical level, the Seagull is a compact model (3.78 m length, 1.72 m width, 1.54 m height) equipped with a permanent magnet motor with a power of 55 kW (75 horsepower) and promising a range of 300 to 400 km according to the standardized European WLTP cycle. Not enough to dethrone the leaders in the category, but sufficient for daily use.
However, BYD will have to make some adjustments to adapt the Seagull to European standards, in particular by equipping it with mandatory safety equipment. Changes which, added to various taxes, were to increase its final price. According to experts, it should be sold for around 20,000 euros. A higher price, but still very attractive.
BYD is not unknown: it is the world’s largest manufacturer of electric cars, even ahead of Tesla. The Chinese brand wants to continue its momentum and conquer Europe. The arrival of the Seagull is only the first step in an all-out offensive and the brand has already announced the construction of a factory in Hungary in order to be able to supply the European market more easily while avoiding customs duties. European manufacturers are worried about the arrival of this very serious competitor, especially with this affordable model which presents a threat to the entry-level electric vehicles some are going to launch (Renault, Citroën, Dacia; Ford, etc.). We can expect a real trade war in the coming years.