During this period of European football championship, you probably have not escaped BYD, this Chinese car manufacturer that has given itself the best visibility by becoming an official partner of the German event. It must be considered that its means have become colossal while the brand has reached the rank of world number 1 in the sale of electric cars, at the end of last year, by dethroning no less than Tesla.
Double-digit annual growth
A success that does not prevent BYD from remaining largely dependent on its domestic market, hence its need to quickly acquire notoriety on the Old Continent where the manufacturer hopes to multiply its sales by five, starting this year, while 16,000 vehicles were sold there last year. And if six vehicles already fill its catalog, from the city car to the large SUV, including sedans imitating the Tesla Model 3 and S, BYD still lacks a model capable of competing with compact electric vehicles, very popular at the moment.
Not even afraid of the end of state aid
A category in which the Renault Mégane E-Tech, Volkswagen ID.3 or Cupra Born, to name but a few, have particularly suffered from the arrival, in 2022, of a certain MG4. Capitalizing on the sympathy emanating from its British-origin badge, the Chinese brand has quickly managed to seduce a large section of the European general public by combining honorable performance with unbeatable prices. And if MG sales have melted by 28% in France, at the beginning of this year, due to the ineligibility of its models for the ecological bonus, the brand intends to remain a privileged player in Europe, in the medium term.
MG4 in the sights
But competition is intensifying as electric car prices fall, even for European manufacturers, while MG is particularly unhappy with BYD’s significant breakthrough in recent months. And it is particularly the compact MG4 (4.29 m long) that is feeling the pinch since the reveal, at the Beijing Motor Show last May, of the Ocean-M showcar, a direct rival whose dimensions remain secret, but which should be around 4.30 m long.
An alternative to MG’s range-topping XPower
In sportswear, the Ocean-M study multiplied the aerodynamic appendages in order to worry the 435 hp MG4 XPower. A power level that the BYD compact will probably claim, but it is obviously through more modest engines that it hopes to make a place in the sun, by taking advantage of a new 3.0 platform extrapolated from the Seal sedan, which promises the introduction of a rear-wheel drive system powered by a battery integrated into the very structure of the underbody.
A very high-tech battery
Called Blade, this new battery highlights, according to its creators, a high level of safety, an increased compactness of around 50% ensuring a better energy density, as well as a greater longevity with the guarantee of more than 5,000 charge and discharge cycles. Finally, it remains to be seen what kWh capacities the BYD Ocean will have when it is launched, in 2025. In terms of prices, we can bet that the entry-level model will remain below €30,000 to align its level of competitiveness with that of the MG4.
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To sum up
Despite the congestion observed in the electric compact segment, a new player intends to play spoilsport in the coming months.
