The BYD (EV) Thread

BYD tops Chinese car market as Tesla lags behind

A recent report by Sina Finance has shed light on the sales revenue rankings of car brands in China for 2024, and the results are quite interesting. For the first time Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has emerged as the leader, raking in a staggering €52.36 billion in sales revenue. This puts it well ahead of second-place Mercedes-Benz, which generated €38.30 billion. Perhaps the most surprising finding is that Tesla, which also benefits hugely from China's newfound love for EVs, finds itself lagging in sixth position with only €20.10 billion in revenue.

BYD's success is mostly due to competitive pricing, with an average transaction value of €15,100 per vehicle. This makes its cars accessible to a much wider range of consumers. BYD has been aggressively expanding its product portfolio, offering a huge variety of EVs and plug-in hybrids. This strategy has clearly paid off, with an impressive sales volume of 3.49 million vehicles in 2024.

While Mercedes-Benz sold significantly fewer vehicles (710,000 units), its higher average selling price of €53,600 allowed it to secure the second spot in terms of revenue. Volkswagen, another German automaker, came in third with €37.76 billion in revenue, thanks to a balance of volume (2.13 million units sold) and a respectable average transaction price of €17,800. But those numbers include sales of both electric and combustion-powered vehicles.

www.arenaev.com

BYD tops Chinese car market as Tesla lags behind

BYD leads the Chinese car market in sales revenue, outpacing Tesla and other major players, highlighting the growing strength of domestic EV manufacturers.
www.arenaev.com www.arenaev.com
 
Here’s when the new BYD Shark will go on sale in SA

Launch timing for the new BYD Shark has finally been locked in for South Africa. Here’s when this 320 kW plug-in hybrid bakkie is scheduled to hit the local market…

Back in October 2024, we reported that the new BYD Shark was set to launch in South Africa at some point in 2025. Now, the Chinese brand’s local division has confirmed when this year its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) bakkie is due to hit the local market.

BYD Auto South Africa told Cars.co.za it plans to launch the new Shark in March 2025. That suggests the Shark will beat Ford’s upcoming electrified Ranger (which is technically not yet confirmed for SA, despite the fact it will be built here) to market as Mzansi’s first PHEV bakkie.

Thanks to a peak system-power figure as high as 320 kW, this new double-cab contender – which we believe will adopt the “Shark 6” badge locally, as used in markets such as Australia and New Zealand – will also immediately grab the title of South Africa’s most powerful bakkie from the 292 kW Ford Ranger Raptor.

Interestingly, certain local BYD dealerships have already opened “pre-orders” for the new Shark. From what we understand, initial units are expected to start rolling onto dealership floors towards the end of March 2025. Of course, local pricing has yet to be announced.

 
BYD to integrate Deepseek AI into its cars, democratise advanced driving tech

China’s biggest electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD is set to integrate Deepseek’s AI software into its cars, and roll out advanced self-driving tech on the majority of its models, including the cheaper offerings.

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek sent shockwaves through the US tech sector in late January when it soared to the top of the Apple Store’s download charts with its advanced artificial intelligence app that was developed at a fraction of the cost of its Western competitors.

Other major Chinese automakers, such as GWM, Geely and Leapmotor, are also set to integrate Deepseek’s software into their cars, AFP reported.

BYD said the Deepseek integration would not only help create a more personalised experience for car occupants, but it is also expected to help improve the firm’s advanced driver assistance technology.

On that note, BYD has also announced plans to equip over 20 of its models with its “God’s Eye” semi-autonomous driving system, including its Seagull entry-level hatchback, which has a starting price of just 69,800 yuan (R180,000).

 
BYD's Yangwang U9 autonomously conquers racetrack, apparently

The electric vehicle world is witnessing rapid advancements in autonomous driving technology, and BYD has shot up to the very front of the progress. The company has just unveiled its latest ADAS boldly called the "God's Eye." The specs on paper are impressive, and the idea that autonomous driving is coming even to the cheapest EVs is simply huge.

The Chinese automaker decided to showcase the capabilities of its new ADAS and released a video showing the Yangwang U9 supercar completing a full lap at the Hunan Zhuzhou International Circuit without a driver. On the face of it - a brave, bold move. But after watching the short video, we had more questions than answers. See for yourself:

The video demonstrates the U9 navigating the challenging racetrack both during daylight and even at night. BYD claims this nighttime demonstration proves the robustness of the "God's Eye A" system, the most advanced version of its ADAS suite.

Although the company claims there was no driver in the U9, some of the stunts were performed deliberately to avoid showing the car's interior. The night driving video has been sped up and made to look as if the U9 was driving at full speed. The same goes for the day driving - many sections appear to be sped up and we don't actually get to see one uninterrupted lap.

Did the U9 complete the lap around the circuit? Sure. But it is highly unlikely it has done it fast. The night escapade is even more questionable, and the donuts? You can bet your lunch money that BYD took creative liberties with this marketing video. Because that's all it is - a marketing video designed to show us possibilities.

www.arenaev.com

BYD's Yangwang U9 autonomously conquers racetrack, apparently

Latest video from BYD claims Yangwang U9 supercar autonomously completed a racetrack, showcasing the capabilities of the company's "God's Eye" ADAS. The question is - did it really do it?
www.arenaev.com www.arenaev.com

 
New BYD Sealion 6: SA specs for 1 000 km PHEV revealed

The BYD Sealion 6 – with a slated range of up to 1 092 km – is set to launch in South Africa soon. Here’s a look at local specifications for this plug-in hybrid model…

The new BYD Sealion 6 – like the Chinese automaker’s highly anticipated Shark bakkie – is expected to hit the market in South Africa before the end of Q1 2025. And we’ve unearthed local specifications for this upcoming plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

We don’t yet have a firm idea of pricing but, for the record, SA’s most affordable PHEV is currently the 225 kW Toyota RAV4 2.5 PHEV at R980 000 (though Toyota SA Motors is not actively marketing this model). Still, we now at least know what to expect in terms of the Sealion 6 crossover’s specification. According to our information, the local Sealion 6 line-up will comprise 3 derivatives: Comfort, Dynamic and Premium.

Comfort and Dynamic derivatives combine a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine with a front-mounted electric motor drawing urge from an 18.3 kWh battery pack. Peak outputs for this PHEV system come in at 160 kW and 300 Nm, facilitating a 0-100 kph sprint in a claimed 8.5 seconds. All-electric range is a listed 80 km, while the overall range is slated to be as high as 1 092 km.

Meanwhile, the flagship Premium variant upgrades to a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol mill and adds a 2nd (rear-mounted) electric motor. This all-paw derivative’s maximum power and torque figures thus increase to 238 kW and 550 Nm, respectively, cutting the claimed 0-100 kph time to just 5.9 seconds (though the electric range dips to 70 km and the overall range falls to 961 km).

All 3 variants ride on 19-inch alloy wheels as standard and ship with a panoramic sunroof, LED headlamps, sequential rear indicators, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, faux-leather upholstery, an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a 4-way power-adjustable front-passenger seat, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen.

Safety features standard across the range include 7 airbags, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, lane-departure prevention, emergency lane-keeping assist, front-collision warning, rear-collision warning, blind-spot detection, high-beam assist and a raft of other driver-assistance features.


1739438061295.png

1739438074227.png

1739438084433.png
 
New BYD Sealion 7 EV confirmed for SA

The new BYD Sealion 7 fully electric crossover has been confirmed for South Africa, offering local buyers a coupé-like roofline and a claimed range of nearly 500 km…

We already knew the Shark 6 and Sealion 6 plug-in hybrids were scheduled to launch in South Africa in the opening quarter of 2025, but now the new fully electric BYD Sealion 7 crossover has also been confirmed for the local market.

As first spotted by the folks over at The Citizen Motoring, BYD Auto South Africa has quietly added the Shark 6, Sealion 6 and Sealion 7 to its local website, listing all 3 models as “launching soon”.

The Sealion 7 is the Chinese new-energy vehicle brand’s mid-size crossover pitched against the likes of the Tesla Model Y overseas. This battery-powered 5-seater measures 4 830 mm from nose to tail (and has a wheelbase of 2 930 mm), which – for local context – makes it around 20 mm longer than a current-generation Kia Sorento.

Though local specifications and pricing have yet to be announced, it’s perhaps worth noting the Sealion 7 is available in 2 flavours (each using an 82.56 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack) in fellow right-hand-drive market Australia.

Down Under, the rear-wheel-drive “Premium” derivative generates peak outputs of 230 kW and 380 Nm, with a claimed 0-100 kph time of 6.7 seconds and a WLTP range of 482 km. The all-wheel-drive “Performance” variant (with a motor on each axle), meanwhile, churns out 390 kW and 690 Nm, sprinting from standstill to 3 figures in a claimed 4.5 seconds and featuring a WLTP range of 456 km.

Inside the Australia-spec models, you’ll find a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and BYD’s 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen, along with features such as 128-colour ambient lighting, a 50 W wireless smartphone charger, a head-up display and a panoramic glass roof. Luggage capacity is listed as 500 litres, with a front compartment adding a further 58 litres of storage space.


1739523457782.png

1739523476858.png

1739523484836.png

1739523501044.png
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X