Expanding South Africa’s growing collection of EV and PHEV (plug-in hybrid EV) cars comes the BYD Sea Lion 5, a “super” PHEV, taking shape as a compact SUV. The company hopes to see the Sea Lion 5 cruising the streets by November, complementing BYD’s recently announced ‘megawatt-scale’ EV charging network in SA.
This one’s for the PHEV heads
It may not have the allure of being South Africa’s most affordable EV (a title that belongs to BYD’s Dolphin Surf), and it won’t get anywhere near the company’s YangWang in terms of pure speed. But if the company sticks to its initial pricing projections from June (via MyBroadband), it could start at roughly R550,000 in South Africa.
BYD’s Sea Lion 5 follows the slightly more capable Sea Lion 6, which recently appeared in South Africa. The Sea Lion 5 couples a 1.5-litre engine with a 120kW electric motor and a 12.96kWh battery, which can eke out 64km of electric range. A higher-spec model will offer a 18.31kWh cell, with 93km range, according to TopAuto.
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“Full specifications and pricing for the Sea Lion 5 will be revealed in November followed by consumer sales across BYD dealerships countrywide,” the company said.
It’ll take around four or six hours to charge up the entry-level and higher-spec batteries, respectively, using a 3.3kW AC charger. Overall, BYD reckons the PHEV can cover a range of around 1,400km. Buyers also get a 15.6-inch rotating infotainment screen, wireless charging, keyless entry and start, plus more to be revealed in early November.
