BYD, a manufacturer of new-energy vehicles (NEVs), has launched the SEAL U DM-i – its first plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) featuring Super DM (Dual Mode) Technology – in Europe.

The vehicle is designed to prioritize electric power with minimal fuel reliance, to increase energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

Trim levels

The SEAL U DM-i has three trim levels: Design, Comfort and Boost.

The Design trim features two high-power electric motors (150kW front and 120kW rear), an 18.3kWh BYD Blade battery, a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine producing 96kW, combined system power of 238kW and torque of 550Nm, and a four-wheel-drive configuration.

The Boost and Comfort trims have a front-wheel drive with a 1.5-liter hybrid engine producing 72kW. Boost features an 18.3kWh Blade battery compared with Comfort’s larger 26.6kWh Blade battery. Both trims have a combined system power of 160kW and torque of 300Nm. The pure electric ranges are 80km for Boost and 125km for Comfort.

Super DM Technology

BYD’s Super DM Technology integrates intelligent PHEV technology to prioritize electric power, with two driving modes: EV and HEV. In EV mode, the vehicle operates as a pure electric vehicle; in HEV mode it uses a combination of battery and fuel power.

The SEAL U DM-i features fuel consumption of 0.75 l/100km for Boost and 1.2 l/100km for Design. The electric consumption of the Boost is 21kWh/km; Design’s is 23.5kWh/km. Pure electric ranges are 69km (Design), 80km (Boost) and 125km (Comfort).

Overall driving ranges are 869km (Design), 1,080km (Boost) and more than 1.100km (Comfort).

The BYD SEAL U DM-i will be available in Europe starting June 2024, with UK deliveries beginning in autumn 2024. The vehicle will be available in five colors: Delan Black, Time Grey, Snow White, Tian Qing (blue), and Boundless Cloud.