BYD Launches the Sea Lion 07 Electric SUV, a $26,000 Tesla Model Y Rival

BYD is quickly expanding its electric vehicle lineup with new models to replace Tesla as the number one EV maker in the world. The latest model to join the family is BYD Sea Lion 07, a Tesla Model Y direct competitor that will sell for a little over $26,000. The BYD Sea Lion 07 belongs to the Ocean family of electric vehicles, which comprises sedans (BYD Seal models), hatchbacks (BYD Dolphin models), and SUVs (BYD Sea Lion models). This suggests that BYD plans more Sea Lion SUVs in different market segments, so expect to see Sea Lion 03 and Sea Lion 05 smaller crossovers soon.

The Sea Lion 07 shares many design details with the Ocean-X concept unveiled in 2021 as the flagship model on BYD's e-Platform 3.0. The Chinese model was unveiled in production form last year during the Guangzhou Auto Show. Now, it's ready to start production, with deliveries scheduled for later this month. However, unlike the Ocean-X concept, the Sea Lion 07 is underpinned by the e-Platform 3.0 Evo architecture.

BYD says the upgraded architecture allows a higher level of integration, a more powerful powertrain, and improved charging performance. The new electric motors have a top rotation speed of 23,000 rpm, the highest for a production vehicle. The platform also features BYD's next-generation blade batteries, capable of extreme fast-charging even in severe cold (-25 C/-13 F). Using China's best chargers (peak power 180 kW), the Sea Lion 07 needs 25 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%. It might not sound impressive, but we're talking about lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells here.

Considering its dimensions and performance, the Sea Lion 07 is a proper Tesla Model Y rival. However, the most affordable variant, a single-motor RWD crossover, will sell for only 189,800 yuan (about $26,240 at current exchange rates). For this money, you get a peak power of 228 horsepower, enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 7.3 seconds. The LFP battery pack has a maximum capacity of 72 kWh, which BYD claims will allow for up to 550 km (342 miles) of range according to the Chinese standard CLTC.

The BYD Sea Lion 07 can also be ordered with a more powerful motor (308 horsepower)and an 80-kWh battery, which extends the range to 610 km (379 miles). Finally, the top model is a dual-motor AWD with a peak power of 523 horsepower, capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 kph in 4.2 seconds. Powered by the same 80-kWh battery, the Sea Lion 07 AWD has a CLTC range of 550 km (342 miles). This is BYD's first model incorporating the DiPilot 100 driver assistance system. The sensor suite comprises 12 ultrasonic radars, five millimeter-wave radars, and 11 cameras for advanced driver assist features.