Australia's new EV price leader? BYD Seagull in right-hand drive heading to the UK but will the sub-Dolphin city car come here to cut the GWM Ora, MG4 & Nissan Leaf off at the knees?

Chinese automotive giant BYD has confirmed right-hand drive production of its city-sized Seagull EV for sale in the UK this year, opening up the possibility of the budget-focused five-door coming to Australia.

According to reports in Autocar this week, the Seagull will be renamed Dolphin Surf and upgraded in terms of safety for UK (and European) consumption.

BYD became the world’s biggest EV producer in 2024 and the Seagull is its smallest and most affordable offering, selling with a Chinese domestic market entry price of around ¥70,000 (A$15,300).

According to Autocar, BYD's global Executive Vice-President Stella Li said while the Dolphin Surf might "not be the cheapest" on sale in the UK, it would "be the best value".

The lowest-priced EV in the Australian market is currently the Seagull’s slightly larger BYD Dolphin sibling at $29,990, drive-away. So, even a low- to mid-$20K positioning would substantially undercut and reposition the local EV market. 

Powered by a 55kW front-mounted electric motor driving the front wheels, the compact four-seat Seagull measures just under 3.8m long, a fraction more than 1.7m wide and stands a little over 1.5m tall. 

Riding on the same ‘e-Platform 3.0’ chassis as the Dolphin, in China the Seagull is offered with a choice of 30kWh and 39kWh lithium iron phosphate batteries, the latter 'Blade' type delivering a range of 405km (CLTC).

Peak DC charge rate for the bigger battery is 40kW with a 30-80 per cent capacity claim of 30 minutes.

The diminutive Seagull is claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 13 seconds, but the more relevant 0-50km/h number is 4.9sec. 

Inside, it features BYD’s ‘Intelligent Cockpit’ system and a 10.1-inch rotating media screen with smart voice control (and karaoke!) as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

Launched at the Shanghai motor show in early 2023, the Seagull is already exported to markets in South America and Asia, with Europe (including the UK, where the BYD brand is well established) scheduled for 2025.

Australian BYD importer/distributor EV Direct has confirmed it is exploring the Seagull as an option for the local market, with likely demand the key determining factor at this stage.

If it does come here, the company says a spec upgrade is likely and a name change would be considered. For reference, the car is sold as the Dolphin Mini in Brazil and Mexico. Stay tuned!