China’s leading EV maker, BYD, revealed its first mid-size urban electric SUV Friday. BYD’s new Sea Lion 07 is poised to narrow the gap with Tesla as the brand takes on a new segment.
BYD unveiled the Sea Lion 07 EV at the 2023 Guangzhou International Auto Show as it continues its dominant expansion.
The company teased the new electric SUV’s design last week leading up to the release. Led by ex-Audi and Lamborghini chief designer Wolfgang Egger, the Sea Lion 07 almost resembles a combination of the two.
BYD says the new EV draws inspiration from Sea Lions jumping into the water to create a distinctive five-spoke design.
Egger is now the head designer at BYD as the brand expands in the electric era. The Sea Lion 07 is part of BYD’s Ocean series, following the Dolphin hatchback and Seal sedan.
BYD says its first mid-size electric SUV unlocks the “new” style of the Ocean series. It will kick off a new sub-brand of EVs.
Based on the e-platform 3.0, the Sea Lion features BYD’s 8-in-1 electric powertrain. BYD claims the tech improves range, safety, and driving in low temperatures.
BYD unveils first mid-size EV SUV, closing gap with Tesla
At 4,830 mm long, 1,925 mm wide, and 1,620 mm tall, the Sea Lion will rival Tesla’s Model Y (L – 4,760 mm, W – 1,921 mm, H – 1,624 mm).
BYD’s first mid-size electric SUV will cost between 200,000 – 260,000 yuan ($27,700 – $35,900). It’s poised to compete with Model Y, which runs between 266,000 – 363,900 yuan ($36,900 – $50,500).
BYD continued its impressive run after selling over 165,500 fully electric vehicles in October. The leading Chinese EV maker has sold over 1.2 million EVs this year.
Tesla, the current market leader, delivered 435,059 vehicles in the third quarter as it aims to hit 1.8 million this year. BYD came within 3,500 of surpassing tesla in Q3 after delivering 431,603 EVs.
BYD hopes its first mid-size electric SUV can narrow the gap further as it looks to steal the crown from Tesla.
Electrek’s Take
The fourth quarter is shaping up to be an exciting one as EV leaders Tesla and BYD continue their aggressive expansions.
Meanwhile, with both cutting prices drastically this year, rivals are struggling to keep pace. Several automakers have delayed EV goals including Ford, GM, and VW.
BYD’s beginnings as a battery maker and Tesla’s early ambitions are paying off while others are being squeezed out of the market. Despite lowering prices, BYD scored a record $1.42B in Q3 profits. With a new mid-size electric SUV, BYD will likely make it even harder.
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UPDATE: we’ve got a few new additions for the closing days of 2024, including sweet deals on the Mustang Mach-E GT (above), Toyota bZ4X, and more!
As I was putting this December list together, I realized there were plenty of ways for me to present this information. “Best EVs to park under a Christmas tree ..?” Too opinion based. “EVs with the biggest discounts ..?” Too much research. In the end, I decided to list these 0% financing deals in alphabetical order, by make.
And, trust me: they’ll all look great with a big red bow on them. Enjoy!
Acura
The new-for-2024 Acura ZDX uses a GM Ultium battery and drive motors, but the styling, interior, and infotainment software are all Honda. What that means is that you’ll get a solidly-built EV with GM levels of parts support and Honda levels of fit, finish, and quality control. All that plus Apple CarPlay and 0% financing for 24-72 months makes this (arguably) the best Ultium-based sporty crossover yet.
The big Ultium-based EVs from GM’s dedicated truck brand are impressive beats, with lightning-quick 0-60 acceleration and on-road handling that seems to defy the laws of physics once you understand that these are, essentially, medium-duty trucks. If you’re a fan of heavy metal, you’ll definitely want to stop by your local GMC dealer and give the Hummer EV and Sierra Denali EV a test drive.
Hyundai
One of my all-time favorite retro rides, this Hyundai Pony/Lancia Delta-inspired Hyundai IONIQ 5 combines practical five-passenger packaging and a light, airy interior with serious driving fun. If they sold it in bright white with Martini decals from the factory, I’d already have two.
Kia
If you were waiting for a three-row SUV from a mainstream brand with a great warranty and normal doors, you’ve probably already checked out the Kia EV9. You’re not alone. Kia keeps setting EV sales records, and the EV9 is helping to drive those sales forward … but the EV9 isn’t the only battery-powered Kia that’s drawing fans.
On the sportier side of the dealership, the Kia EV6 offers supercar-baiting levels of straight-line performance in the top GT trims – and even the base models offer a rewarding experience behind the steering wheel. What’s more, with an updated model coming for 2025, the ’24 models are ripe for the picking.
Nissan
The Nissan Ariya is a victim – and, frankly, it deserves better than its status as a heavily discounted also-ran in the five passenger crossover race, if only because Nissan has been flying the flag of electrification since the launch of the original LEAF EV since 2010 two years before Tesla launched its Model S in 2012. Despite the head start, though, Nissan never gained enough momentum to stay ahead in the EV race.
I drove the car at Chicago Drives Electric a few weeks ago, and it seemed like it was well worth the (discounted) price to me. With 0% financing for 72 months like I’m seeing advertised all over my news feeds? The Ariya is a better deal than ever.
Subaru
Despite being something of a slow seller, this mechanical twin of the Toyota bZ4X EV seems like a solid mid-size electric crossover with some outdoorsy vibes and granola style that offers more than enough utility to carry your mountain bikes to the trail or your kayaks to the river.
Toyota
Toyota hybrids are a hot commodity right now, and we haven’t seen any newsworthy holiday discount deals from Toyota in years. That said, the bZ4X EV might be the best deal in Toyota’s end-of-the-year lineup with big discounts on both 2024 and 2025 model year bZ4X crossovers happening now. Through January 6th, you can score 0% financing for 72 months plus $2,500 in TFS bonus cash.
Volkswagen
One of the most popular legacy EVs, the ID.4 offers Volkswagen build quality and (for 2024) a Chat-GPT enabled interface. Still, with a relatively affordable base price, lickety-quick charging, up to 291 miles of EPA-rated range, and a 5-star safety rating, the ID.4 offers a value proposition that’s tough to beat.
This month, the only way to beat the ID.4’s 0% financing for 72 months would be to convince the bank to pay you to buy it.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced $28.5 million in additional funding being made available to install DC fast chargers for private and commercial EVs driving along major travel corridors across the Empire State.
Funded by the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula funding program, the State’s new competitive Downstate Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) program will improve consumer access to reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging.
This second round of NEVI funding will focus on installing new DC fast charging locations south of Interstate 84, including sites in the lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island.
“This critical federal NEVI funding supports New York State’s ongoing leadership to invest in a network of electric vehicle fast chargers, particularly in areas downstate that face heavy traffic,” explains Governor Hochul. “Making quick, reliable charging easily available will encourage more people to drive EVs that help to lower pollution from vehicles, provide cleaner air for New Yorkers, and improve health in our communities.”
The new chargers will meet all current NEVI requirements, which means they’ll be located within one travel mile of an AFC (alternative fuel corridor) highway exit, being publicly accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and having the ability to charge at least four EVs simultaneously at speeds of at least 150 kW per vehicle.
Proposals that address gaps between existing and planned charging stations, offer amenities such as restrooms and food, or have stations that provide multiple types of charging connectors (ex.: both CCS and J3400, or Tesla/NACS), will be prioritized for the new funding.
Motiv Electric Trucks may not grab all the headlines, but it’s been quietly putting electric box vans to work throughout California for the past fifteen years. And, last week, the company’s commercial EV fleet logged its five millionth all-electric mile driven.
According to Motiv’s press materials, fully 45% of the electric step vans in California today are Motive Electric Trucks. That translates to more than 370 electric vans operating daily shifts throughout the Golden State, racking up not just five million miles of all-electric driving, but racking up other big stats as well.
What kind of stats? Try these: over 300 million pounds of goods delivered, more than 15 million pounds of CO2 “saved” compared to conventional diesel, nearly a ton of PM 2.5 particulate matter, and – most crucial of all – more than 98% uptime.
That’s the kind of performance that leads to high levels of customer satisfaction, and Motiv has that, too. The company says its 200-mile range step vans lead the industry when it comes to repeat and follow-on orders, citing that since delivering its first EV in 2009, fully 64% of its new vehicle sales have been to repeat customers like Purolator, Vestis (formerly Aramark Uniform Services), Cintas, Bimbo Bakeries, and Shasta Linen Supply.
“We are very appreciative of our customers for believing in us, sharing our vision of cleaner commerce, and investing clean trucking to benefit their communities,” explains Scott Griffith, CEO of Motiv. “We’re also grateful for our employees and partners who produce such high quality and safe vehicles to make this milestone possible. We’re already looking ahead to the next 5 million miles.”
As much fun as all that is, though, it’s comments like these (below) that really make me hope Motiv continues to succeed – because they seem to get it.
Poor air quality caused by fossil-powered trucks disproportionally affects low-income communities and communities of color, as pollution is found in higher rates near highways, warehouses and ports, where these communities abound. Long-term exposure to poor air quality causes increased death rates attributed to cardiovascular diseases and has been linked to lung cancer.
Additionally, children who grow up in areas with high levels of pollution show reduced lung function, increased rates of asthma and lower IQ levels in their teens. Each electric mile our customers drive helps reduce these public health issues, for the benefit of everyone along the route.
When vehicle manufacturers start to look at the damage that ICEs have done, and continue to do their communities, and fess up to lasting, generational impact caused by the sort of lazy and/or corrupt government policies Americans have endured for decades, it’s hard not to think of them as “the good guys.” Here’s hoping that the good guys everywhere eventually win out.