BYD officially launched its new entry-level electric SUV Friday. The BYD Song L, starting at around $26,700 (189,800 yuan), will rival Tesla’s Model Y in China.
BYD introduced the Song L concept at the Shanghai auto show in April. After opening pre-orders on October 13, BYD said it had received over 11,000 hand-raisers in 17 days.
Now, that number is nearly 30,000. As of Friday, the new electric SUV has gathered 28,350 pre-orders.
BYD officially began Song L sales in China Friday with prices from 189,800 – 249,800 yuan ($26,700 – $35,100). Opening prices are about 30,000 yuan lower ($4,200) than pre-sales.
The new electric SUV is available in five trims with between 550 km (341 mi) and 662 km (411 mi) CLTC range.
BYD is offering “financial gifts” for early buyers, including 0% interest for 24 months or a down payment as low as 15%. It’s also offering deals on charging and connectivity features like online navigation and free car data.
BYD Song L electric SUV (Source: BYD)
Meet the new BYD Song L electric SUV
The new Song L is arguably the sleekest SUV from BYD yet. It features BYD’s “hunting dragon face” and “hunting design.” The low-lying profile highlights the sporty SUV’s design.
It’s available in five colors: orange, light blue, white, black, and gray. Interior colors include morning light, white sand beach, and wilderness starry sky.
BYD Song L (Source: BYD)
Inside, you will find 15.6″ floating infotainment and 10.25″ instrument display screens. It also includes a new “BYD Heart,” integrated sports seats, and a 50″ head-up display.
At 4,840 mm (190″) long, 1,950 mm (77″) wide, and 1,560 mm (61″) tall, the Song L will rival Tesla’s Model Y (L – 4,760 mm, W – 1,921 mm, H – 1,624 mm).
BYD Song L trim
Price
Battery
CLTC Range
Exceed 550 km
189,800 yuan ($26,700)
71.8 kWh
550 km
Excellence 550 km
199,800 yuan ($28,100)
71.8 kWh
550 km
Exceed 662 km
209,800 yuan ($29,500)
87.04 kWh
662 km
Excellence 662 km
229,800 yuan ($32,300)
87.04 kWh
662 km
Excellence AWD 602 km
249,800 yuan ($35,100)
87.04 kWh
602 km
BYD Song L trims
Tesla’s Model Y starts at 266,400 yuan ($37,400) with up to 554 km (344 mi) CLTC range. The long-range version with up to 688 km (427 mi) costs 306,400 yuan ($43,000).
The BYD Song L has three powertrain options: 150 kW, 230 kW, and an AWD version with 380 kW peak power. Powered by BYD’s Blade Battery, the EV is offered in 71.8 kWh and 87.04 kWh options.
Electrek’s Take
BYD is closing in on Tesla in global EV sales as we near the end of the year. The new Song L is aimed at Tesla’s hot spot in mid-size electric SUVs.
BYD delivered 431,603 EVs through September, within 3,500 of Tesla’s 435,059 vehicle deliveries. Can a new entry-level electric SUV put it over the edge in 2024?
With Tesla’s Cybertruck launching, the EV leader hopes to hang on to its lead. Meanwhile, BYD has several new EVs coming out, including the Sea Lion 07, another electric SUV. It’s also expected to launch the BYD UP, which was recently leaked by China’s MIIT.
It looks like we’re in for an exciting year-end EV sales race. Even better, EV leaders like BYD and Tesla are stealing market share in the top markets globally. Tesla’s Model Y is on pace to become the top-selling passenger vehicle in 2023, likely topping Toyota’s Corolla.
Founded in 1689, Husqvarna was a musket maker for the king of Sweden – but now, the company best known for quirky motorcycles and commercial riding mowers is becoming an innovator in the field of robotics, and its latest fleet of electric autonomous mowers are eager to get grazing.
Husqvarna’s autonomous lawnmowers made history earlier this year at the AIG Women’s Open, when they became the first autonomous groundskeeping solution to see duty during a UK Major golf week.
“At the AIG Women’s Open, the Husqvarna portfolio is helping us deliver this goal through improved resource management, regular lightweight mowing and reduced carbon usage,” explains Royal Porthcawl’s Course Manager, Ian Kinley, who has championed the use of robotic technology at the course. “With the AIG Women’s Open set to be the largest-ever women’s sporting event in Wales, we know there’s tremendous pressure to produce playing surfaces that are worthy of such a high-profile event.”
Events like the AIG Women’s Open are proving that the little robot Huskies can get the job done quietly, sustainably, and with significantly less operator input. As such, you’d think everyone at Husqvarna would be excited about them.
You’d be wrong. The company’s franchise dealers have been hesitant to push them forward, effectively putting the parent company in the position of going B2C, or going home.
“Dealers live and breathe the previous technology,” said Yvette Henshall-Bell, Husqvarna’s President of its Forest and Garden division for Europe, in that same Forbes piece. “They want to protect that servicing, that aftermarket revenue. Whereas if they really thought about what the customer’s problems are and the job to be done, they would be looking at a completely different solution.”
A solution, frankly, that looks a lot like a little robot mower.
The bigger CEORA can handle up to 18 acres of ground twice each week, while the Automower, with its 80V battery and pinpoint precision EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) software, can handle another 2.5 acres. Both are fully electric, and can guide themselves back to their pens to recharge as needed.
Prices aren’t public, but the Husqvarna CEORA and Automowers are available as part of a custom lease package through Husqvarna Finance that will include access to the company’s customizable back end and ongoing support. Check with your local dealer for more.
Electrek’s Take
As a typically pro-union, pro-labor type of guy, I am hesitant to heap praise upon a robot taking away anyone’s job. That said, it does seem to be difficult for landscapers and construction crews to keep and find good labor at rates they can afford (and, let’s face it – the current Trump Administration isn’t going to be making that any easier). As such, if companies like Husqvarna and John Deere and Einride and others can build a demonstrably better mousetrap at a compelling price point … good for them. (?)
Let us know what you think in the comments.
SOURCES: Forbes, Golf Monthly; images by Husqvarna.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.
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2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)
US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.
Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.
Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.
Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.
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Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:
We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.
Electrek’s Take
September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.
We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.
Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.
And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.
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