NEW SPARK
Major car firm’s new EV could be coming to UK for first time… and would become ‘cheapest electric car in Britain’
BYD sold more electric cars than any other car maker globally last year, including Tesla
A MAJOR car firm's new EV could be coming to the UK for the first time and would become the "cheapest electric car" in the country.
The low-cost BYD Seagull could soon be available on the market to British buyers.
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In China, it is priced from the equivalent of £8000, a price at which is understood to make the car profitably and still offer a range close to 200 miles.
No decision has yet been taken however on if and when the 3.8-metre-long Seagull would launch in the UK.
However, if it does it would likely be the cheapest electric car on sale in the UK, reports
BYD’s UK marketing boss Mark Blundell said he was “keen to have it” when asked about the potential UK launch of the Seagull and said there was a clear space below the BYD Dolphin hatchback in the range for it.
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Blundell said that it was BYD’s strategy to “make electric cars accessible to all” and keen pricing was part of that.
Speaking at an event to mark the one-year anniversary of BYD’s launch in the UK, Blundell said he’d like to see BYD “established as a credible brand".
This includes an medium term aim to establish infrastructure and dealer network and to be part of the landscape” in the UK.
BYD sold more electric cars than any other car maker globally last year, including Tesla.
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The firm plans to go from 21 to 60 dealers in the UK by the summer, giving good geographic coverage across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
BYD operates a wholesale retail model and keeps a good stock of cars to be able to get them to buyers quickly.
Blundell quoted a typical speedy two-week lead time to get cars to buyers after orders.
The firm has launched the BYD Atto 3, BYD Dolphin and BYD Seal electric cars in the UK to date, and will soon add the BYD Seal U SUV as its first hybrid here.
Selling hybrids is part of BYD’s plan to be a “mainstream volume brand”, said Blundell.
It comes after a major car brand has cut the power supply to its top-selling electric vehicle.
The French car titan churned out 400,000 of the five-door wonders in 12 years.
And its popularity in the UK saw it become the country's best-selling car in 2015.
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Meanwhile, the UK's six cheapest electric vehicles have been revealed, with one costing less than £6,000.
A lovable quadricycle and a robust lightweight pioneer are among the bargain chargeables.
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