BYD introduces the Sealion 7 to European customers, the seventh pure-electric car to be launched by BYD in Europe, and the fourth model in the Ocean Series.
BYD Sealion 7 combines sporty performance, a stylish SUV design, cutting-edge EV technology, a beautifully finished, spacious cabin, a smarter in-car interface and the long-distance security of charging speeds of up to 230 kW, the new model dramatically extends the reach of BYD in the European car market.
With an overall length of 4,830 mm and a wheelbase of 2,930 mm, up to 502km of WLTP range and stunning performance (a top speed of 215 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time as low as 4.5 seconds), the Sealion 7 perfectly matches the needs of tech-savvy European customers searching for a sporty family car with impeccable environmental credentials.
Ocean Series design, translated into a sporty SUV shape
Created under the guidance of the company’s Global Design Director Wolfgang Egger, the Sealion 7 takes the Ocean Series design language, seen on models like the Dolphin hatchback and Seal sedan, and adapts it to a sporty SUV body style. The result is a car boasting a powerful and athletic stance, but also an extremely efficient shape that helps to deliver impressive range from its Blade Battery.
The front of the Sealion 7 incorporates a ‘X face’ motif, familiar from other Ocean Series models, and is designed to have a sense of forward motion to reflect the Sealion 7’s dynamic prowess. Yet the Ocean theme is retained through the use of Dual U ‘floating’ LED headlights and deeply sculpted curves that echo the motion of waves.
The side profile is smooth yet poised, with the low front countered by a rounded roof and dramatic fastback that’s punctuated by a subtle ducktail rear spoiler. Subtle surfacing, with a crisp crease rising along the flanks, creates a dual waistline, helping to retain an athletic stance despite the SUV body. And the clean look and efficiency are enhanced further by flush handles that recede into the door itself when the Sealion 7 is in motion.
Further back, there’s a muscular haunch over the rear wheel to reflect the Sealion 7’s performance potential and dynamic focus, and then a full-width light signature across the tailgate that includes the latest evolution of the Ocean Series ‘water-drop’ fail-lights.
The car’s overall length is 30mm longer than the BYD Seal’s, but the different positioning is best reflected in its height, because the Sealion 7’s roofline sits 160mm taller than its stablemate’s.
Revolutionary blade battery, with advanced cell-to-body installation
The Sealion 7 is based on the company’s state-of-the-art vehicle architecture, called e-Platform 3.0. Designed exclusively for electric vehicles, e-Platform 3.0 features BYD’s revolutionary Blade Battery, technology that has been at the centre of the brand’s European introductions.
Developed in house by BYD, the Blade Battery is designed to deliver class-leading safety, durability, performance and packaging. The technology is incredibly space efficient, with cells installed directly into the pack, instead of being fitted in multiple modules. This allows more cells to be squeezed into the same area than with a conventional battery construction – while still resulting in a slim pack that helps BYD’s engineers and designers to optimise the Sealion 7’s cabin space.
In addition, the Blade Battery uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) as a cathode material. LFP has higher levels of safety and durability compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries, while also being 100% free of cobalt, a material that has raised ethical and environmental concerns in the mining industry.
LFP batteries are also more resistant to extreme temperatures, less sensitive to fluctuations in temperature and can withstand more charge and discharge cycles with hardly any loss of capacity, making them particularly durable.
BYD’s expertise with this chemistry means it is the only brand able to deliver the Sealion 7’s mix of high performance and environmentally friendly credentials.
The Blade Battery construction has an exceptional safety level, since it exceeds the requirements of the punishing Nail Penetration Test – a rigorous method of evaluating battery thermal runaway and simulating the consequences of a serious road accident.
On top of the Blade Battery itself, the Sealion 7, like the Seal, benefits from BYD’s pioneering Cell-to-Body (CTB) battery installation – a key technical difference compared with other EVs. Instead of a traditional layout, CTB integrates the Blade Battery into the entire vehicle structure, with the top cover of the pack also acting as the floor of the passenger compartment. CTB features a high-strength honeycomb-like aluminium structure, enhancing safety – and using the battery pack as a structural component also helps to deliver incredible torsional stiffness.
World’s fastest mass-production e-motor, up to 23000 rpm of motor speed
The heart of any high-performance vehicle is its motor, and BYD’s engineering experience has delivered a stunning technical tour de force to power the Sealion 7. Thanks to a range of high-tech achievements, including dual V-shaped magnets and an incredibly high slot-fill rate of 92% with flat wire winding, the Sealion 7’s rear motor can run at speeds of up to 23,000 rpm, making it the world’s fastest electric motor in mass production. This high technology, which allows the Sealion 7 to have both strong acceleration and a high top speed while still using a single-speed gearbox, would normally only feature in luxury models costing twice as much. Yet the Sealion 7 remains premium but accessible.
This motor produces 230 kW and 380 Nm of torque, and plays a key role in both drive configurations. It’s the single motor in the rear-wheel-drive Comfort version of the Sealion 7, which can reach 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 215 km/h.
Then, in the Design AWD and Excellence AWD editions, this motor is joined by a further 160 kW unit on the front axle, delivering all-wheel drive and a combined output of 390 kW and 690 Nm of torque. The top speed of these cars is also 215 km/h, but the additional punch cuts the 0-100 km/h time to just 4.5 seconds.
More than 500 km of range, and BYD’s fastest charging in Europe
The new Sealion 7 is being offered with a choice of two battery capacities and when combined with the powertrain options, this will allow customers to choose between accessibility, performance and outright range. The rear-wheel-drive Comfort spec and all-wheel-drive Design AWD models feature a 82.5 kWh Blade Battery. That’s enough, in the single-motor version, for a WLTP combined range of 482 km, while the two-motor Design AWD returns a WLTP figure of 456 km.
The range-topping Excellence AWD gets a larger battery pack, with a capacity of 91.3 kWh. This means that as well as matching the stronger performance of Design AWD, the Excellence AWD version has the longest range of any Sealion 7, at 502 km.
All versions of the Sealion 7 get 11 kW three-phase AC charging as standard, and there’s a choice of DC rapid-charging rates. Comfort and Design editions can be recharged at up to 150 kW, allowing the battery to be recharged from 10% to 80% in 32 minutes. The larger-battery Excellence AWD can reach speeds of 230 kW when hooked up to a DC ultra-fast charging station. With this potential, the Excellence AWD’s larger battery can actually be recharged from 10% to 80% of its capacity in just 24 minutes.
The Blade Battery and CTB construction play a key part in the Sealion 7’s technical make-up, but the new model also benefits from BYD’s innovative electric drivetrain, which integrates many of the key electrical control and management components into one device, improving efficiency and aiding packaging. There’s also a highly efficient heat pump as standard across the line-up, which uses waste heat from the electric powertrain to help maximise range, particularly in cold conditions.
Cutting-edge chassis tech means secure, engaging dynamics
The Sealion 7 makes full use of its e-Platform 3.0 architecture to deliver a rewarding drive and engaging dynamics. The Cell-to-Body construction helps to deliver not only exceptional torsional rigidity but also a low centre of gravity, while the suspension configuration – double wishbones at the front and a multi-link rear axle – is tailored for excellent handling and secure vehicle control.
The Sealion 7 is the latest BYD model in Europe to be equipped with Frequency Variable Damping. This system controls the oil flow in the damper cylinders, ensuring a relatively firm set-up on smoother surfaces to improve stability and handling, but allowing a softer, more compliant configuration when the Sealion 7 encounters potholes or scarred road surfaces.
The Sealion 7’s dynamics are also enhanced by a new Intelligent Torque Adaption Control (iTAC) system, which is offered on all-wheel-drive versions. It works by intelligently allocating torque, using torque shift, reducing torque and even applying negative torque to boost stability. This improves safety and enhances the Sealion 7’s driving experience.
The car has four operating modes, for a variety of driving preferences and situations. They are:
- ECO mode, which focuses on efficiency and extending the range as much as possible
- Normal mode, with a balanced approach for everyday use
- Sport mode, which delivers stronger response in acceleration
- Snow mode, which maximises traction on slippery surfaces
Source : BYD Europe
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