The $10k Chinese EV that could blow away the competition.

[SunSeeker]

Ford Authority reported last week, Ford CEO Jim Farley recently stated that he views not only Chinese EVs in general as a threat, but specifically pointed to one, in general – the BYD Seagull. These comments don’t come as a huge surprise, per say, given the fact that the Chinese automaker recently lowered the price of this entry-level EV to a mere 69,800 yuan ($9,700), which is far, far cheaper than any all-electric vehicle currently sold in the U.S. Recently, Autoline Network took a closer look at the BYD Seagull, and came away with some important notes on what makes it tick.

This particular BYD Seagull has a sticker price of $11,500 and comes equipped with the larger 38.8 kWh battery pack. Looking around, one can find a few areas where cost-cutting measures are evident, but overall, it’s a pretty nice-looking vehicle that doesn’t appear to be some kind of bargain-basement build. There are things like a single windshield wiper instead of two, and there’s no rear wiper, but nothing terribly major.

Even the interior presents quite nicely and is not what one would expect in such a cheap car, and the Seagull even has contrast stitching and features like cruise control and wireless charging, coupled with four-wheel disc brakes. It reportedly rides comfortably and drives well, though it obviously won’t blow anyone away in terms of performance. Throw in the fact that it has 252 miles of range, and it’s pretty clear why people like Jim Farley are worried about the BYD Seagull making it to the U.S. market.
https://fordauthority.com/2024/03/heres-an-overview-of-the-ev-ford-ceo-says-is-threat-video/