BYD issues substantial EV price cut, hoping to erode Tesla sales success

Credit: BYD

BYD has announced a significant price cut on its electric Seal sedan as the Chinese brand looks to decrease Tesla’s EV dominance in the region.

With the tsunami of demand for EVs in China, one of the biggest market winners has been BYD, which is now working to become the top EV seller in the country. However, as Tesla has rapidly lowered its prices for its top models, particularly in China, BYD has been forced to respond with its own price cuts. Now, BYD has introduced another fresh price cut, slashing an astonishing 10% from its Tesla Model 3 competitor, the Seal.

As initially reported by Reuters, BYD has decreased the price of its Seal sedan by 10% across the board and now makes the electric sedan available in five different trims. The BYD Seal Champion Edition, a near-base model variant that competes with the RWD Model 3, now starts at 189,800 yuan ($27,459), which is just over 20,000 yuan ($2,890) cheaper than earlier this year. The Seal Champion Edition already undercut the Model 3 but is now a remarkable 18% cheaper than its American counterpart.

Credit: BYD

With this newest price cut, BYD is likely aiming to close the sales gap the Seal has with the Tesla Model 3, which has been an incredible sales success in China, with 42,782 Model 3s sold last quarter alone. In comparison, BYD sold 19,572 Seal EVs during the same time period.

Despite Tesla’s price cuts keeping BYD away from complete EV dominance, the Chinese brand still has plenty to be excited about. Foremost, the Chinese automaker reported mind-boggling first-quarter earnings, which sent its stock skyrocketing. Second, while its battle with Tesla seems unending, it is handily winning over customers from local sales hegemon Volkswagen, which has yet to garner a significant EV sales following in the region.

Looking forward to Q2, many expect a slight slowing in the overall car market as the Chinese economy shudders thanks to global market instability. According to Reuters, BYD has reduced shifts at many of its production facilities in preparation.

What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!

William Johnson: Will is an auto enthusiast, a gear head, and an EV enthusiast above all. From racing, to industry data, to the most advanced EV tech on earth, he now covers it at Teslarati.
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