Pursuing Tesla Model 3, BYD Expands Ocean Series To Mexico Market With Seal Model

BYD Seal. (Doc. BYD Auto)

JAKARTA - BYD expanded the Ocean series for the Mexico market by launching the Seal model, following Dolphin's presence last September.

Quoted from the Carnewschina page, December 8, the presence of BYD Seal adds to the choice of cars from the Chinese manufacturer, which previously presented BYD Han, the Tang SUV, and the Yuan Plus medium size SUV.

The presence of BYD Seal also led him to compete with Tesla Model 3 All Wheel Drive (AWD), which had already entered the Mexico market, creating attractive options for consumers.

BYD Seal builds on e-platform 3.0 and is equipped with CTB (cell-to-body) technology, in which the batteries are integrated into chassis. BYD presents two variants for the Mexico market, namely an entry-level single motor RWD and an AWD dual motorcycle with a power of 523 hp and acceleration of 3.8 seconds from 0-100 km/hour.

Mexico is considered a strategic market for Chinese automakers. In September, Reuters reported that Chinese companies plan to invest $1 billion in Nuevo Leon, which is also where Tesla plans its newest Giga factory. Analysts speculate that Mexico could be an entry point for Chinese electric vehicles and their suppliers to the US market.

In the same month, BYD announced considerations for building a factory in Mexico.

"We have a plan, but there is still a lot of work to be done," said the CEO of BYD America, Stella Li.

It is known that in the last two years, the competition between Tesla and BYD as the two main leaders of the global electric vehicle market has continued to heat up, with the two companies adopting various strategies, including price discounts, and launching of new models.