BYD models

Who is BYD?

BYD is a Chinese company that began as a rechargeable battery maker and later expanded into cars. Battery technology remains a central part of its identity, alongside electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid systems.

The BYD models listed here span 2012 to 2025. The e6 is the longest-running nameplate, while the range also includes hatchbacks, SUVs and saloons.

What BYD models are available?

The range includes several familiar shapes. Dolphin and Dolphin Surf are hatchbacks; Atto 2 and Atto 3 are compact SUVs. Seal is a saloon, while Seal U, Sealion and Sealion 7 are SUVs. Han and Tang are larger saloon and SUV models, and the e6 has been part of the range for many years.

In EU registration figures, Seal U leads the listed models, with 68,775 registrations from 2023 to 2025. Atto 3 follows with 34,763 from 2022 to 2025. Seal and Dolphin also feature prominently, while Dolphin Surf recorded 17,609 registrations in 2025.

How has the BYD range developed?

The e6 was already part of the range in 2012. Tang followed in 2021, then Atto 3 and Han in 2022. Dolphin, Seal and Seal U joined in 2023; Sealion and Sealion 7 arrived in 2024. The 2025 model names include Atto 2, Dolphin Surf, Seal 5 DM-i and Seal 6 DM-i.

Electrification runs through the line-up. BYD offers battery-electric cars as well as DM-i plug-in hybrids, including the Seal 5 DM-i and Seal 6 DM-i. Its Blade Battery and dual-mode hybrid technology are among the company’s better-known developments.

Where are BYD figures available?

TheCarCodex lists BYD in the European Union, using EEA registrations, and in the United States, using EPA figures. Test procedures differ between markets: European figures use WLTP or, for some older cars, NEDC, while the US uses EPA procedures. Those results are not directly interchangeable.