A compact, family-size automobile, the BYD Seal is unapologetically geared toward taking up the Tesla Mannequin 3. That stated, it’s greater than the American in each dimension, most notably in each size (4,800 millimeters versus 4,694 millimeters for the Mannequin 3) and wheelbase (2,920 millimeters versus 2,875 millimeters). The result’s a roomier automobile with inside house just like that of a automobile in a category above.
Smooth, and with a Mannequin 3–beating drag coefficient of simply 0.219 Cd, the Seal is the manufacturing model of the Ocean-X idea from 2021. That idea is the place BYD revealed the eplatform 3.0 that underpins all of its present automobiles.
Higher Blades
As we wrote about in our overview of the BYD Atto 3, the corporate’s patented “blade battery” pack design goals to set it aside from different producers. It’s a key part of the Seal’s platform and arranges lithium iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries in a bladelike design.
BYD claims its use of LFP because the cathode materials makes for a safer battery than typical lithium-ion alternate options. It additionally boasts of improved thermal stability and the next vitality density than its rivals. The Blade design additionally signifies that puncture injury to the battery pack in a collision is much less prone to trigger thermal runaway and the potential for hearth, BYD says.
Additionally featured within the Seal is what BYD claims to be the world’s first 8-in-1 electrical powertrain system, with an total effectivity of 89 p.c. This combines the drive motor, inverter, transmission, onboard charger, AC/DC, energy distribution unit, automobile management unit, and battery administration system. The platform can be able to 800-volt charging (like Kia and Hyundai), however whereas in different EVs this typically means the likelihood for ultrafast DC charging, the Seal is restricted to a middling 150 kW.
There’s additionally a direct heating and cooling system for the battery, which will increase thermal effectivity by as much as a claimed 20 p.c. BYD additionally says improved thermal effectivity can imply a 20 p.c enchancment to vary in chilly climate, too.
Curiously, the Seal’s blade battery types an integral a part of the Seal’s eplatform 3.0 structure and permits for a cell-to-body (CTB) development, the place the battery pack itself is integrated inside the automobile construction, enhancing rigidity.
CTB signifies that the batteries are not a useless weight within the automobile, and now type a part of the load-bearing construction, with the highest of the battery pack successfully being the ground of the automobile. This implies torsional rigidity will be 40,500 Nm/diploma, which is concerning the stage of a luxurious automobile.
Refined Trip
All this interprets into good dealing with with a snug, considerably refined trip at velocity. These pretty typical however not unattractive appears are considerably beguiling, since there’s 50/50 weight distribution and double wishbone suspension on the entrance to provide a sporty setup.
