BYD Seal U PHEV heading for the UK – starts from £33,205

The BYD Seal U plug-in hybrid is heading for the UK and will go on sale in September priced from £33,205.

It’s received wisdom that the biggest EV maker in the world is Tesla, but not anymore; in fact it’s China’s BYD and it’s busy making hay in the UK and Europe with their keenly priced EVs – although they charge up to twice as much here as they do in China.

But BYD isn’t just about BEVs – like the BYD Seal and the BYD Dolphin – but it’s also big in plug-in hybrids too, and it’s now bringing a PHEV to market in the UK for the first with the BYD Seal U which goes on sale in September.

About the size of the Tesla Model Y, the BYD Seal Boost comes with a 106bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 194bhp electric motor with a CVT ‘box and promising EV range of around 50 miles from the 18.3kWh battery, which can be charged from 30-80% in 35 minutes and has vehicle-to-load built in.

Also on offer is the Seal U Design, which comes with two electric motors – a 201bhp and 161bhp – as well as the 1.5-litre petrol engine for a usable 319bhp

Standard kit for the Seal U includes stuff like 19″ alloys, LED lights, faux leather, posh Sound and a 15.6″ rotating infotainment.

On sale in September, the BYD Seal U Boost costs from £33,205 and the Seal U Design from £39,905.