BYD Sealion 7 vs Tesla Model Y
The Sealion 7, cannot challenge the Model Y, due to 5 key reasons. First is the price. To dethrone the market leader, the challenger must be at least 20% better, in terms of value for money. Lets take the Rear Wheel Drive Sea-lion, for example. It is 13 percent cheaper than the new Model Y. Now, is that discount on price, due to lower performance, or the cost advantage of BYD? I'm afraid it's the former. The Sea-lion is based on a generation-old platform compared to the Tesla. It is clearly evident from the glacial charging speed of the Sea-lion. It adds just 10 kilometers of range, per minute of charging, while the Tesla adds 18 kilometers, every minute. But it is not just the electrical architecture that is outdated. Even the chassis is old-school. Compared to the Tesla, it is just 1 percent bigger in size, but 18 percent heavier. That shows the highly inefficient engineering, that has gone in to the Sea-lion. End result, is a slower acceleration, in spite of higher horsepower. Another proof of inefficient engineering is the range. The Sea-lion has a 30 percent bigger battery than the base Model Y. But it's range is only 6 percent longer than the Tesla. Then there are a couple of practical aspects. First is the seamless charging experience of the Model Y at Tesla superchargers. In case of BYD, many owners have reported compatibility issues, while trying to charge at V3 superchargers. Second is the space-efficiency of the Tesla, which again is able to offer much more boot space, than the sea-lion, in spite of a smaller footprint. Then there's the big question, of Sea-lion's autonomous driving ability, in the future. The Model Y, as we know, is already shipped with Tesla's AI 4 hardware, that is slated for unsupervised autonomy approval, in the US, by mid 2025. The sea-lion definitely doesn't have all the hardware required for unsupervised autonomy, which BYD is still in the process of figuring out. There's no doubt, about Chinese self driving tech, being better than Tesla's, after sampling Huawei's Qiankun 3 System. But the hardware required for it, is not sitting inside the Sea-lion. If your Model Y, is going to go driverless, after two to three years, and the BYD isn't, it could be the single biggest advantage for Tesla. In the UK, BYD does offer a faster-charging, bigger battery variant, but it is priced too close to the Model Y, which defeats the purpose. BYD is of course working on a new challenger for the Model Y, the Tang L, which is far superior to the Model Y. It is scheduled for launch at the end of this year. Check out the pinned comment, for a link to our comparison, between the Tang L and the Model Y. Plus, a comparison of features between the sea-lion and the Model Y, below it.
2025 BYD Sealion 7 Premium standard features:
230kW/380Nm single-motor rear-wheel-drive layout and 82.56kWh battery
482km claimed WLTP driving range
DC 150kW and AC 11kW charging, with vehicle-to-load tech
19-inch alloy wheels with 235/50 front and 255/45 rear tyres, puncture repair kit
Frequency-selective, non-adaptive dampers
LED headlights and tail-lights
15.6-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, satellite navigation, voice recognition and FM radio (no mention of DAB or AM)
10.25-inch digital instrument display
Over-the-air software updates
12-speaker Dynaudio sound system
Keyless entry and start, with NFC or phone-as-a-key features
Wireless phone charging
Dual-zone auto climate control with PM2.5 filter, rear vents
Panoramic glass roof
Head-up display
Power tailgate
Multi-colour ambient interior lighting
'Genuine' black leather seat upholstery
Eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat with four-way power lumbar, memory
Six-way power-adjustable front passenger seat
Heated and ventilated front seats
Leather-trimmed steering wheel
Heat pump
Power-folding and heated side mirrors with position memory, auto tilt in reverse gear
Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Rain-sensing wipers
Metal door sill plates
Front and rear parking sensors
360-degree, front/rear/side cameras
Nine airbags (dual frontal, front-side, rear-side, and curtain, plus front-centre)
Autonomous emergency braking
Lane-keep assist
Adaptive cruise control
Blind-spot monitoring
Front and rear cross-traffic alerts, with braking functions
Traffic sign recognition
Door exit warning
Driver attention monitor
Child presence detection
2025 BYD Sealion 7 Performance adds (over Premium):
390kW/690Nm dual-motor all-wheel-drive layout
456km claimed WLTP range
20-inch alloy wheels
Red front brake calipers
Heated steering wheel
Heated rear seats