The BYD Seal U DM-i plug-in hybrid delivers on what is promised and provides an altogether different experience than one would get from a traditional hybrid. A 150-km real-world test drive by Somnath Chatterjee, which he undertook to assess its EV credentials, underlines the extent to which this powertrain is EV-centric and the role of the petrol engine is subordinate.
While the initial part of his 150-km drive had the car running almost entirely on electric power, the charge simply depleted at a slow pace, giving the impression that one is getting more out of the battery than one is putting in. While the charge did start dropping, the fact that it was recovering at the same rate means the system is incredibly efficient.
It was only after dropping below 20 per cent that the car switched to HEV mode and refused to let him run it down further. What is surprising is that even when he was in HEV mode, the powertrain felt more like an EV. He had to accelerate quite hard to engage the petrol engine, and when he did, he could hear it running, but there was nothing like the CVT ‘feel’.
That is perhaps the most surprising thing about the Seal U DM-i. Even when running on the petrol engine, it feels more like an EV owing to the instantaneous response of the electric motor. This is a car that delivers on its promise to deliver the driving pleasure of an EV while retaining the ability to travel much further than an EV can manage on a single charge.
The other thing that stands out is the ‘efficiency’. He reports consuming about 5-litres of petrol per 100 km during the test, but that was when running on the petrol engine after the battery had been discharged to 20 per cent. As he was accelerating away from traffic, the consumption was closer to 5.5 litres per 100 km. Given the weight of the car, it is surprising that the consumption figures are not higher, but given the combined power of the two motors, it does have the ability to deliver outstanding efficiency when the conditions are right.
What makes the most sense, though, is the range. With a full tank of petrol and a fully charged battery, it is possible to do more than 1,000 km on a single charge depending on how much one uses the petrol engine. This is the kind of range that makes immense sense, especially for Indian buyers who have been hesitant to embrace EVs owing to the range anxiety and the lack of charging infrastructure.
The technology is complicated, but it all comes together to deliver on the fundamental premise of this type of powertrain: the ability to provide the range of a petrol car while retaining the efficiency of an EV. It is impossible to have such a seamless transition between the two power sources without having to think about it while driving. That is the genius of it, really. It is all taken care of so that the driver can simply enjoy the drive without having to guess which motor to use in which situation.
However, it is difficult to ignore the price tag. The Sealion 7 EV from BYD will be much cheaper than the Seal U DM-i. The question for Indian buyers, then, is whether they want the range offered by the DM-i at a much higher price or be absolutely fine with the lower range of the EV version.
In many ways, that is the crux of the matter with the Seal U DM-i. It offers the EV driving experience while being able to go much further than an EV can manage owing to the petrol engine. This 150 km real-world drive underlines the extent to which the petrol engine is merely a supplement and does not play a starring role in the powertrain. To a large extent, its appeal in India will be determined by how much one is willing to pay for it over the EV version.
