By Dylan Afuang
LAST NOVEMBER was momentous for China-headquartered automaker BYD and its local distributor BYD Cars Philippines — the latter led by the Ayala conglomerate’s ACMobility subsidiary, which assumed the distribution rights to the brand in 2023.
On a global scale, BYD celebrated its 30th anniversary and delivered its 10-millionth electrified or new energy vehicle (NEV). Locally, meanwhile, the brand introduced to the market its Seal 5 DM-i compact sedan, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that the manufacturer touted as boasting affordable pricing and a driving range of over 1,000km.
Founded as an electronics battery manufacturer in 1994, BYD began producing vehicles in the 2000s. It is the first-ever automaker to produce 10 million NEVs. It took the company 15 years to produce five million NEVs, before achieving the next five million in just 15 months. BYD Philippines Country Head Aiffy Liu boasted these figures during the public unveiling of the Seal 5 in Taguig City.
The sedan is available in Dynamic (with 8.3-kWh battery, P945,000) and Premium (with 18.3-kWh battery, P1.198 million) variants. Powered by BYD’s DM-i plug-in hybrid technology, the vehicle runs solely on electric power with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine acting as a generator and range-extender. The hybrid vehicle can either be refueled or charged through a Type 2 charger.
“Each (BYD vehicle) launch has been a process of understanding what customers need in their NEVs and NEV technology,” ACMobility CEO Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala stated during the Seal 5’s unveiling, referencing the launch of the Sealion 6 DM-i PHEV, and Seagull hatchback, and Seal sedan battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) this year.
By the end of 2024, ACMobility aims to establish and operate 100 EV charging stations around the country, while opening 25 BYD dealerships nationwide, said BYD Cars Philippines Managing Director Bob Palanca.
The Seal 5’s 1.5-liter supplemental gas engine produces 106ps and 135Nm of torque. Power output, electric-only, and combined range between the two models vary. The 8.3-kWh Dynamic packs 179ps and 316Nm, while the 18.3-kWh Premium boasts 197ps and 325Nm. The two models’ electric and combined range are quoted at 50km and 1,175km, and 115km and 1,240km, respectively.
The four-door sedan can travel up to 1,645.2 kilometers, as tested by the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) and veteran race car drivers Georges and Louis Ramirez.
To validate the car’s driving range, the group took the Seal 5 on a journey from Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, to North Luzon provinces of Tuguegarao, Ilocos, and La Union, before heading to South Luzon in Lipa, Batangas, and back to BGC. The trip was done on a full tank of gasoline and a fully charged battery.
Like other models in the BYD Philippines lineup, included with the Seal 5 DM-i is an extensive warranty: an eight-year or 160,000-km warranty for the BYD Blade battery, an eight-year or 150,000-km warranty for the drive unit, and a six-year or 150,000-km vehicle warranty.
The public is invited to visit bydcarsphilippines.com for more information.
