BYD Seagull Debuts In Brazil, Mexico As Dolphin Mini

BYD, a leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has introduced the Seagull, a compact EV, to the Brazilian and Mexican markets. This marks the introduction of BYD's most affordable model to South America. This EV is actually a pre-existing model in China, which is the smaller sibling of the Dolphin series.
For the record, the Seagull debuted on April 26, 2023, in China. It is available there in three variants. The highest-priced model has a range of 405 kilometers on the CLTC cycle, compared to 305 kilometers for the two cheaper versions.

The Seagull is priced at $21,100 in Mexico and comes in two variants: 300 and 380 kilometers in NEDC range. In the meantime, there is only one Seagull variant available in Brazil, with a 380-kilometer NEDC range and the ability to charge quickly from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes.

According to Tyler Li, general manager of BYD Brazil, the Dolphin had a big impact on the Brazilian car industry when it first came out, and the Seagull is predicted to carry on this tradition as a compelling new product.

Will this smaller, compact car be available in Malaysia and other ASEAN markets?

If so, the Seagull's comparatively low price suggests that it could be the electric vehicle that dominates the Malaysian A-segment EV market. This car retails for 73,800 yuan (MYR 48,500) in China, so according to DSF, it could be sold for roughly RM80k in Malaysia.

However, don't expect it to arrive in Malaysia anytime soon. Regretfully, considering the RM100k base price policy that the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) has imposed on imported completely built-up (CBU) electric vehicles, that is sadly rather impossible.