The BYD Seagull (Chinese: 比亚迪海鸥; pinyin: Bǐyǎdí Hǎi'ōu) is a battery electric city car manufactured by BYD Auto since 2023. Positioned below the Dolphin within BYD's line-up, it is currently the smallest BYD vehicle, occupying the A00-class in Chinese segmentation (equivalent to European A-segment).[5] It is part of the Ocean product line and marketed through "Ocean Network"-branded dealerships and stores. The car was made available in Brazil and some other South American markets in 2024 as the BYD Dolphin Mini.[6]
The Seagull was introduced on 27 April 2023 in China. Unlike its 3-door rivals in the sub-100,000 yuan electric car segment, the Seagull features a 4-seat, 5-door configuration in a hatchback body style with a length of only 3,780 mm (148.8 in). According to Chinese publications, it is targeted towards younger customers seeking simpler means of transportation.[7]
The exterior design of the Seagull combines numerous sharp lines, angular shaped headlights, and a sloping roofline with rear lamps connected by a light bar.[8] Interior space utilization is prioritized by increasing the wheelbase-to-length ratio at 66 percent, higher than the BYD Dolphin at 64 percent, along with the use of the thinner blade battery.[9] In line with other BYD Ocean models, the dashboard design has a "wing" design depicting a seagull's wing with a two-tone design, and equipped with a rotatable 10.1-inch touch-screen infotainment system along with a 5-inch digital instrument cluster.[10][11]
The Seagull is equipped with six airbags, rear disc brakes, electronic parking brake, and electronic stability programme. Its body in white contains 61% of high-strength steel, and uses hot-forming with a tensile strength of over 1,500 MPa in key parts.[7]
Following its world premiere at Auto Shanghai in the second half of April 2023, BYD started delivering the Seagull in China.[10] Upon its release, BYD received 10,000 orders for the Seagull in 24 hours.[12] On 29 November 2023, the 200,000th Seagull rolled off the assembly line, only seven months after its introduction.[13]
In March 2024, BYD reduced the price of the Seagull by five percent in China with the release of the Seagull Honor Edition as the 2024 model year.[14] The Seagull Honor Edition introduced a new body colour option, Ice Blue, with a Sea Blue interior colour.[15]
In China, there are currently three trims offered: a base model called the "Vitality Edition" (活力版), a higher specification "Freedom Edition" (自由版), and a top-specification variant called the "Flying Edition" (飞翔版). All three models are powered by a single 55 kW (74 hp) synchronous motor with a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph)[10] and a claimed 0–50 km/h acceleration of 4.9 seconds,[16] with an 0-100 km/h of 13 seconds.
Both the Vitality and Freedom models are built with a 30 kWh (110 MJ) LFP blade battery, enabling a cruise range of 305 km (190 mi) (CLTC); the Flying model sports a larger 38 kWh (140 MJ) battery pack and a range of approximately 405 km (252 mi) (CLTC). The battery can be recharged via an household AC power plug at 6.6 kW, or via a DC fast charger at 30 or 40 kW (depending on the model), during which it reportedly can be charged from 30% to 80% capacity in 30 minutes.
On 30 April 2024, BYD issued a recall for 16,666 Seagull units in China due to reversing camera software failure. It affects units produced between 7 April 2023 and 31 May 2023. The recall will be conducted through an over-the-air (OTA) update.[17]