All Killer, No Filler

BYD's saloon is like a compilation of everyone else's greatest EV bits

- Tom Wiltshire

IT IS EASY TO BE PATRONISING TOWARDS the Chinese brands attempting to crack Europe, but BYD is not some bit player. Though the name, which stands for Build Your Dreams, would look more at home on a Dunelm crushed-velvet throw pillow than it does on the back of a car, it is one of the largest producers of electric vehicles (EV) in the world and sold 1.9 million cars in 2022. Tesla sold 1.3 million.

The Seal also a terrible name, though arguably no worse than "Puma" or "Panda"-will be the firm's third electric car released in the United Kingdom in 2023, after the Atto 3 SUV (on sale now) and the Dolphin hatchback (coming in September).

BYD produce everything, including the lithiumiron phosphate battery. They also makes their own semiconductors, so they are largely immune to the supply-chain issues that push many rival EVs' lead times into months or years. You should be able to get a Seal just a few weeks after ordering it, which could seal the deal for some buyers.