Pressing the left-hand pedal releases the pressure on my eyes and throws a soft cushion into the bottomless shaft. We’re back down to walking pace now, and I’m turning the car around to head back to the pits. I glance at the digital display in front of me, which includes a 0-100km/h acceleration timer. It tells me that, from the millisecond when I released the brake, we were travelling at the legal main road limit precisely 3.8 seconds later. The BYD Seal is a very fast car.
BYD has already arrived in Ireland, and its Atto 3 electric crossover is going to be in the company’s Irish dealerships by the end of April. The Atto 3 is an entirely inoffensive car, one that looks almost totally generic on the outside, and whose performance, range, and roadholding cleave to the dictionary definition of “middle of the road”. Not outstanding, but equally fairly impressive for a mid-range family crossover.
Basic versions of the Seal will come with a single electric motor, driving the rear wheels, and developing 313hp Want something more affordable? BYD can provide. The Dolphin is a five-door hatchback aimed squarely at the Volkswagen ID.3, as well as others such as the MG 4 and the Renault Megane E-Tech.
The Dolphin gets a 60kWh version of the same Blade battery, which gives you a range of 420km, and there’s a 204hp motor powering the front wheels. There will be a smaller-battery version, with a range of around 300km in due course, and that car – at least according to estimates from BYD’s Irish importer, Motor Distributors Limited – could dip below the €30,000 barrier.