BYD launch: finally in Switzerland
The Chinese manufacturer BYD is constantly making headlines with spectacular developments. Now the brand is also launching in Germany - initially with three models, but the range is to be expanded quickly.
BYD - which stands for "Build Your Dreams" - has been well known in this country since the European Football Championships in Germany last year. Founded in 1995, the Chinese technology group has long been a huge global player, building power storage units, electronic modules for smartphones and LED lights as well as trucks and battery-powered articulated buses. And BYD has been building cars since 2003 - initially unspectacularly and in modest numbers. However, this changed dramatically with the introduction of electric cars. Today, the brand is not only the largest car manufacturer in China, but also rose to number four in the world last year with around 4.3 million vehicles sold.
So BYD is a success story - and now the Chinese are coming to us. "We are delighted to be opening our network in Switzerland," says BYD Vice President Stella Li at the launch event at the beginning of April. "It is our mission to make our sustainable technologies accessible to as many consumers as possible." While the brand has been represented in other European countries for some time and with up to nine models, the Chinese are starting with three models in this country for the time being. "But more will be added quickly," promises Maria Grazia Davino, Head of Europe. The introduction of commercial vehicles is also planned - but exact plans for this have not yet been announced.
Two electric models and a plug-in: we start with the two electric models Sealion 7 and Seal as well as the plug-in hybrid Seal U DM-i. Somewhat confusingly, the all-electric Seal is a sporty saloon, while the Seal U is a 4.78-metre SUV that is also available with an all-electric drive. In this country, however, it is initially only available with plug-in hybrid drive (DM-i).
The 4.80-metre-long Seal is available with rear-wheel drive (230 kW/313 hp, from CHF 48,990) or all-wheel drive (390 kW/530 hp, from CHF 53,990), has a WLTP range of up to 570 kilometers and can be charged with a maximum of 150 kW (DC) or 11 kW (AC). The Sealion 7 (from 49,990 Swiss francs) is a 4.83-metre-long crossover SUV that is available with two battery sizes (82.5 or 91.3 kWh), with the larger one being available exclusively with all-wheel drive. It enables a WLTP range of 502 kilometers and can be charged more quickly (230 kW instead of 150 kW), while the smaller battery can be combined with either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and enables standard ranges of up to 482 kilometers.
The Seal U DM-i combines a 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with one or two electric motors (all-wheel drive) and an 18.3 kWh battery. This should enable purely electric ranges of up to 125 kilometers. Two power levels with 160 kW/218 hp or 238 kW/325 hp are available, with prices starting at 42,990 Swiss francs.
As a confidence-building measure, BYD offers a six-year warranty on all models and an eight-year warranty on the traction battery of electric vehicles in Europe. After negotiations with importer Emil Frey as a sales partner for Switzerland failed, BYD is building up its own dealer network in Switzerland. The first showroom is in a prominent location in Zurich (Uraniastrasse), while in Ticino two locations have just opened in Cadenazzo and Lugano. Nine more are to be added by the end of the year in cities such as Zug, Lucerne, Lausanne and Geneva. Next year, the Swiss sales network will be expanded to over 30 locations.
