You're going to see a lot more BYD cars on the road very soon
But it's not stopping there. BYD has plans to offer UK customers an increased range of plug-in hybrid models over the next 18 months.
Currently, BYD's line-up comprises five EVs and the Seal U DM-i plug-in hybrid – a car that we've described as Britain's best-value new car. The budget Dolphin Surf and small SUV Atto 2 all-electric models are due to join the line-up over the coming months, but there will also be a new range of DM-i PHEVs coming to showrooms to join the Seal U.1.
Talking to The Independent at the New York Auto Show where she'd just been presented with her 2025 World Car Person of the Year Award, BYD executive vice-president Stella Li, said, 'we will introduce five DM-i models into Europe in the next one and a half years.'
'We always needed to introduce these two versions [electric and plug-in hybrid] because even in the UK EV penetration was high, but suddenly flat. [The UK EV market] is at about 24 per cent, so 76 per cent of people will never want electric because of range anxiety, and the charging infrastructure is always a question. So, BYD will bring the DM-i technology -in the form of an] advanced PHEV.
'BYD's DM-i makes a difference on the EV range. You can run for 100 to 200 kilometres per charge daily, so it becomes like an EV. But then you also have the freedom to go long distances. With our PHEV model you get lower fuel consumption: on one charge and one tank of gasoline, you can drive 1080 kilometres. Nobody else's car can do this. This means in the UK you can go from the North all the way back to the South if you want to without stopping for gas or charging. That's a game changer.'
The BYD Seal U DM-i comes with a choice of battery and engine configurations with either 18.3 or 26.6kWh batteries, with EV ranges of 50 or 77 miles and a combined petrol and electric range of up to 706 miles. It's not yet known what new models will feature DM-i tech, but we'd expect more SUVs plus an upmarket saloon like the fully electric Seal.
BYD will be launching its new Denza performance car brand in Europe and the UK at the start of 2026. BYD says the new brand will rival Porsche when it arrives, with its first model, the Denza Z9GT sporting estate car, also featuring DM-i plug-in hybrid power as well as a fully-electric powertrain.
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