Chinese giant BYD is so serious about Europe, it's even getting into the wagon business with the Seal 6 DM-i Touring. And it has much more planned.
At IAA Munich, Chinese EV and hybrid giant BYD announced or reaffirmed major plans for European expansion. Those include the Seal 6 DM-i Touring, a plug-in hybrid wagon aimed at one of Europe's most popular segments.
Coming soon to Europe: BYD's Megawatt charging, which can add 400 kilometers of range in five minutes. At Europe's biggest auto show this week, the home team was clearly playing defense. While Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Renault and others showed off bold new plans for electric vehicles, autonomous driving and advanced software, it was no secret they're all catching up to things China's automakers are already doing. And arguably, the one playing offense the hardest is BYD. The Chinese giant has been making inroads in Europe for a while now—go to any major European city these days, and you're sure to see lot of its cars. It's even outselling Tesla across the continent. But at IAA Munich, BYD made clear that it's in Europe to stay. DENZA Z9GT Photo by: BYD BYD's Executive Vice President Stella Li hosted a lengthy keynote address highlighting the growth of the company's European car lineup, which now ranges from the affordable Dolphin Surf all the way up to its premium Denza brand. But you know BYD's really serious when it comes to the party with something Europeans love, but doesn't really resonate with American or Chinese buyers: a wagon. Or an estate car, as it's known in the United Kingdom. That would be the new BYD Seal 6 DM-i Touring, a plug-in hybrid that's aimed for volume sales at a time when Europe's EV uptake is growing but often volatile. A little longer than the Audi A4 Avant, the Seal 6 DM-i Touring packs a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine paired with a 19-kilowatt-hour LFP battery pack. In total, it's good for 1,300 kilometers of range, or 800 miles—even on Europe's more generous WLTP testing cycle, that's massively impressive. More plug-in hybrids are planned for the European market soon, despite BYD only selling EVs when it initially entered the market. Li added that by 2028, all BYD EVs sold in Europe will be made in Europe—a way to dodge anti-China tariffs and cement a long-term foothold in that market. Li admitted as much in her keynote speech: 'We are training ourselves to be more European in production,' she said. The company will start making cars at its Hungary plant this year and a second factory in Hungary will be operational next year. Another BYD luxury brand, Yangwang, will also launch in 2027. BYD Han L, Tang L and Megawatt Charging Photo by: Patrick George But the real coup de grâce may be BYD's European deployment of megawatt charging—its signature 1,000-kilowatt fast-charging system that Li said can add 400 km of range in five minutes. The so-called 'Flash' charging system was on display in Munich, Li said, 'to demonstrate to all of you that charging is as fast as refueling' a gas car. 'This is game-changing.' I tried this system when I was in China earlier this year, and I couldn't help but be blown away at how it worked. While 1,000-kW charging speeds are only capable from that charger and on cars able to accept that much power , the technology is expected to spread across the industry and accelerate charging in general. Li said that BYD aims to install 200 to 300 such charging stations by the second quarter of 2026. All Denza products will launch with Flash charging capability, she said. BYD was hardly the only Chinese automaker with a big show of force at IAA Munich. But out of all of them, it's likely to be the most serious long-term player in the European market. Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com More IAA Munich News 'This Model Does Not Work Anymore': Volkswagen Group CEO Gets Candid On EVs And Future Plans This Is What Volkswagen's More Normal, 'Likable' EV Future Looks Like The BMW iX3 Could Actually Be A Fantastic EV Deal 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC EV: A 440-Mile Electric Do-Over With 'Multi-Agent' AI Mercedes C-Class Electric: A 500-Mile EV To Rival The BMW i3 China's Battery King Brought The Heat To Europe's Biggest Auto Show
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
VIDEO: Man Gets Stuck on Giant American Flag at Jets-Steelers GameSource of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »
Volkswagen targets dominance in Europe with affordable EV pushThe chief executive of Volkswagen says the German auto giant is pushing to strengthen its European market dominance.
Read more »
Backpack Opens Regulated Perpetuals Exchange in Europe After Buying FTX EUOperating out of Cyprus and licensed under the European Union’s MiFID II framework, the exchange is positioning itself as one of the first fully regulated venues in Europe to offer crypto derivatives, starting with perpetual futures.
Read more »
Europe Imposes Big Fine On Google: Trump Isn't HappyThe EU has hit Google with another antitrust fine for favoring its own online display adtech services, and is calling for it to divest part of its business.
Read more »
BYD just doubled down on its plans to take on EuropeBusiness Insider tells the global tech, finance, stock market, media, economy, lifestyle, real estate, AI and innovative stories you want to know.
Read more »
Eagles’ Jalen Carter fined by NFL for spitting incident, eligible to play vs. ChiefsCarter will forfeit his game check, and the NFL considered his ejection from Thursday’s game against the Cowboys equivalent to a one-game suspension.
Read more »