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BYD’s best-selling EV is also its cheapest, starting at under $10,000 in China. Leaked images reveal that BYD’s Seagull EV is getting an upgrade. Check out the new look below.

What to expect from the upgraded BYD Seagull EV

Since launching in April 2023, the Seagull has become a force not only in China but also overseas. The small electric car, known abroad as the Dolphin Mini, is already a top seller in key markets like Brazil.

Starting at under $10,000 (69,800 yuan), the Seagull was a major contributor to BYD’s record sales surge last year.

The Seagull was China’s top-selling vehicle in November, EV or gas-powered, with over 56,100 models sold in November alone. BYD’s low-cost electric car overtook Tesla’s Model Y, with around 44,500 sold during the month.

Despite launching a new Honor Edition last March, BYD’s Seagull EV is due for another upgrade. New images revealed in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) latest release of new energy vehicles set to be sold in the country give us our first look at the new look.

The first thing you will notice is the redesigned front bumper and air intake, giving the mini EV a refined, sportier look.

Another upgrade worth noting is the Seagull now includes a new camera system on the front bumper and side-view mirrors with 360-degree views. The new model will also get front parking sensors.

BYD's-Seagull-EV-upgrade
BYD Seagull EV (Dolphin Mini) testing in Brazil (Source: BYD)

In terms of size, the Seagull remains the same at 3,780 mm long, 1,715 mm wide, and 1,540 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,500 mm. To give you a comparison, that’s even smaller than the now-retired Chevy Bolt EV at 4,145 mm long, 1,765 mm wide, and 1,611 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,600 mm.

The low-cost electric car has a standard 55 kW (74 hp) front motor. It’s available with two battery options: 30.1 kWh or 38.9 kWh, good for the 305 km (190 mi) and 405 km (252 mi) CLTC range, respectively.

BYD Seagull EV trim Starting Price Range
(CLTC)
Active $9,500
(69,800 yuan)
190 mi
(305 km)
Free $10,300
(75,800 yuan)
190 mi
(305 km)
Flying $11,700
(85,800 yuan)
252 mi
(405 km)
BYD Seagull EV prices and range

BYD’s current Seagull EV starts at just 69,800 yuan, or about $9,500. The longer-range “Flying” trim starts at 85,800 yuan, or roughly $11,700.

Prices and additional specs will be revealed closer to the launch, which will be in the first half of 2025. With new features, the range-topping model could see a price rise. However, BYD has aggressively slashed prices on its top-selling models over the past year, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see prices remain about the same or even slightly lower.

Source: CarNewsChina, China MIIT

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Hyundai is recalling nearly 600,000 vehicles, including the Palisade and IONIQ EVs

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Hyundai is recalling nearly 600,000 vehicles, including the Palisade and IONIQ EVs

Hyundai issued a recall for nearly 600,000 vehicles in the US, including the popular Palisade SUV and several IONIQ electric vehicles.

Hyundai Palisade and IONIQ EV recall details

In a notice to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on September 12, Hyundai announced a recall of 568,580 2020-2025 model year Palisade vehicles.

The recall is due to faulty seat belt buckles in the front and rear, which may fail to latch. Although Hyundai expects only about 1% of the Palisade models actually have the defect, it’s issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.

Hyundai said those with impacted vehicles may notice a lighter-than-normal “click” when fastening the seatbelt. You can bring it to a Hyundai dealer, where they will fix the seatbelt, free of charge.

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Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 10, 2025. You can contact Hyundai’s customer service at 1-855-371-9460 with any questions. Hyundai’s recall number is 283.

Hyundai-IONIQ-6-recall
Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Source: Hyundai)

In a separate notice sent to the NHTSA on September 12, Hyundai issued another recall for 31,042 2023 – 2025 IONIQ 6 EV models because the charging port door panel could detach.

Again, Hyundai expects only about 1% of them to have the defect. Those impacted can bring their vehicle to a local Hyundai dealer, where they will fix the port, free of charge.

Owner notification letters will also go out on November 10. Hyundai’s recall number for the IONIQ 6 is 282. Owners can contact Hyundai’s customer service hotline (listed above) with any questions.

Hyundai-IONIQ-5-recall
The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)

But, wait, that’s not all. Hyundai issued a third recall on September 12 for just eight 2025 IONIQ 5 models due to improperly tightened fasteners that could loosen over time. Dealers will replace the bolts, align the wheels, and even replace the tires if needed, free of charge.

If you own any of the recalled vehicles, you can contact Hyundai’s customer service or NHTSA hotline (1-888-327-4236) with questions. You can also visit NHTSA.gov for more information.

Hyundai’s recalls follow Toyota, which issued a recall for over 590,000 vehicles in the US. Between the two, a combined 1.1 million cars have been recalled.

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Tesla loses another Optimus robot leader, and upsets TSLA stock gamblers

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Tesla loses another Optimus robot leader, and upsets TSLA stock gamblers

Tesla has lost another leader of its Optimus humanoid robot program, which is upsetting those who bet on Tesla’s stock (TSLA), as CEO Elon Musk says most of Tesla’s value is tied to the robot.

Musk claims that 80% of Tesla’s future earnings would come from its humanoid robot, which he believes would bring in trillions of dollars and finally justify Tesla trading at more than 200 times earnings.

That’s been hard to believe considering the state of the Optimus program.

All of Tesla’s public demonstrations so far have involved remote control by humans, and the company has not been entirely forthcoming about that.

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In June, Milan Kovac, the head of the Optimus program, left Tesla, just months after being promoted to senior vice-president by Musk.

Shortly after, we learned that Tesla was delaying production due to an unexpected redesign.

Now, we learn that another leader of the Optimus program has left Tesla: Ashish Kumar, who led Tesla’s Optimus AI team for the past two years.

Kumar received a phD in artificial intelligence from Berkeley in 2023 and quickly joined Tesla’s humanoid effort. He was believed to be leading the AI aspect of the program, while Kovac led the overall program, including robotics.

He announced his departure on X:

Kumar confirmed that he joined Meta’s AI team as a researcher. Meta has been aggressively poaching AI researchers over the last year, but Tesla has remained largely unaffected by this effort.

The Facebook owner has been reported to be offering substantial compensation packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions to AI researchers, but this hasn’t been confirmed.

Some Tesla shareholders were visibly upset by Kumar’s announcement and some quickly accused him of taking Meta’s money:

Kumar responded and claimed that Tesla was actually giving him a better deal than Meta:

Financial upside at Tesla was significantly larger. Tesla is known to compensate pretty well, way before Zuck made it cool. If I wanted to optimize for money, I would have stayed at Tesla.

It didn’t stop many Tesla sharehodlers to be mean to him for simply deciding to work on something else than Optimus:

Electrek’s Take

It will not come as a surprise to anyone here, but damn, the Tesla community is really becoming toxic.

This individual dedicated two years of his life working at Tesla. The only appropriate thing to say is: thanks for your hard work and good luck in your next endeavor.

The reason they are being so mean is that they believe Elon Musk’s lies that Optimus will justify Tesla’s insane valuation and become the most valuable company in the world; this guy’s departure challenges their view.

Why would he give up working on the most important product of all time and likely become a billionaire in the process? Maybe because these things won’t happen?

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Controversial electric moto influencer ‘Surronster’ appears to have been arrested

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Controversial electric moto influencer 'Surronster' appears to have been arrested

It looks like electric motorcycle influencer Surronster has landed himself in trouble south of the border, based on an arrest video posted to his social media channels.

A heavily edited video posted on his Instagram page shows the controversial rider in handcuffs being led into a police vehicle by officers in Tijuana, Mexico. The reel appears to have been filmed by a companion in the influencer’s entourage. No additional context was provided in the post, and at the time of writing, details surrounding the arrest remain unclear.

The incident comes just two days after the influencer posted another update to his social media showing that he was being denied entry into Mexico with his Sur Ron electric off-road motorcycle loaded in the bed of his truck.

In the more recent clip, the Tijuana Municipal Police appear to be questioning him and an associate before handcuffing them both. An officer is seen starting to remove the influencer’s helmet, then the clip jumps to a shot of the influencer entering the back of the police truck, edited to avoid showing his unhelmeted face. Surronster has long concealed his identity, always being filmed while wearing a full-face dirt bike helmet.

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Surronster has gained a large following online by pushing the limits of electric motorcycles – especially the Sur Ron Light Bee and similar lightweight electric dirt bikes. His content often shows him performing stunts, riding in traffic without a license plate, and usually on electric dirt bikes that are not street legal for use on public roads. His 1M+ following is comprised mainly of young male viewers in their teens and twenties, with many attempting to imitate the riders’ style and stunts. He has risen to become one of the leading influencers in the electric motorbike industry, all while promoting a rebellious image and racking up millions of views on social media.

That notoriety has earned him plenty of fans, but also a long line of critics. Many in the e-bike and e-moto community have called out the influencer for encouraging illegal and unsafe behavior that risks drawing increased regulation and public backlash against electric two-wheelers, not to mention the danger to young riders who may attempt to recreate his stunts. Others defend him as a thrill-seeking entertainer similar to traditional motorsport stunt riders.

A large proportion of his videos feature illegal riding activities, but his strict control over his anonymity has meant that he has effectively operated with impunity. But getting arrested in a foreign country is a serious matter, and it remains to be seen what charges – if any – he’ll face. At the time of publishing, the Tijuana Minicipal Police have not responded to a request for comment.

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