The €9,000 BYD Seagull sows panic in the electric car sector

BYD is once again slashing prices with the Seagull Honor Edition, an electric car priced at less than 9,000 euros in China. For a consulting firm specializing in the automotive industry, this ultra-affordable model is a wake-up call for other manufacturers.

At the beginning of the month, BYD announced a new version of its Seagull EV. With its ever lower price tag of less than 9,000 euros in China, this city car has what it takes to win the price war raging in the electric car sector. And it's not just our opinion: in the automotive industry, many experts believe that this model marks a turning point.

The BYD Seagull Honor Edition is “an important event” for the automotive industry

As a reminder, the BYD Seagull Honor Edition is offered for 69,800 yuan in China, or approximately 8,900 euros. This is still 5% less than the previous version. This model comes in three versions with ranges of 305 km and 405 km in the CLTC cycle. The battery charges from 30% to 80% in 30 minutes. Inside, a 10.1″ rotating screen acts as an interface with DiLink, BYD’s infotainment system.

In the pages of CNBC, Terry Woychowski, former General Motors executive, believes that this technical sheet proposed by BYD would constitute “a wake-up call for the rest of the industry“. The current president of the automotive division of Caresoft Global, a consulting firm, also calls BYD's electric car “important event” for other car manufacturers.

And not in a good way. If they want to stay in the race against China, manufacturers will have to work harder. The Caresoft executive says this knowingly: his company carefully inspects the models to determine how its customers can improve their effectiveness.

After reviewing the BYD Seagull, Caresoft found it simple and efficient in terms of design, design and construction. The Chinese vehicle even exceeded the consulting firm's expectations in terms of quality and reliability. “It's a job very well doneexplains Mr. Woychowski. For less than $10,000, it's a steal.“

BYD bids higher in price war on electric cars

Enough to fulfill the predictions of the CEO of Stellantis, who warns of bloodshed in the sector because of the price war. Indeed, the margin generated on each vehicle is declining, as shown by Tesla's results for the last quarter of 2023: standing at 17.6%, it was 26.2% the previous year! Enough to push certain more fragile manufacturers into bankruptcy.

For the moment BYD does not intend to market its vehicle in France or the United States. But the car manufacturer has big ambitions in Europe. In January, we learned that BYD was arriving in Europe with its Seal U SUV. And this is only the beginning, with a factory in Hungary currently under construction.