BYD put its flash-charging system into the Seagull on October 20, and the cheapest version starts at 65,900 yuan, about $9,900. That is less than the first-generation car cost, and the new one charges from 10% to 70% in about five minutes at a dedicated station.
The Seagull is BYD's smallest and cheapest electric car in China. It sells as the Dolphin Surf in Europe and the Dolphin Mini in other markets, and it ranks among the world's top-selling EVs. For the second generation, BYD added interior space, the new Blade Battery 2.0, and 5-minute flash charging, plus a few premium extras.
The reason this matters now is that BYD is racing to build out its flash-charging network. The company had 12,165 stations in China as of October 7, including 2,111 on highways covering 341 cities, and it is targeting 20,000 by the end of 2026. Putting fast charging into a car that costs under $10,000 is a bid to make that network useful to ordinary buyers, not just premium owners.
The Hardware
Five variants are on sale, priced from 65,900 yuan to 99,900 yuan, or $9,900 to $15,000, without a trade-in. The three upper trims, starting at 75,900 yuan, carry a 39.2 kWh battery with a 420 km CLTC range and support flash charging. The two base trims use a 30 kWh pack with a 320 km range and come with a free 7 kW home charger instead of flash charging.
The upper trims charge from 10% to 70% in about five minutes at a dedicated station, and from 10% to 97% in roughly nine minutes at room temperature. Even at minus 30 degrees Celsius, charging from 20% to 97% takes 12 minutes. The battery is the Blade 2.0 LFP pack, and BYD rates consumption at about 9 kWh per 100 km.
The car is bigger than before. It is now 4,205 mm long with a 2,650 mm wheelbase, seats five, and switches to rear-wheel drive with 85 or 95 kW motors. It also gains multi-link rear suspension, which the first generation lacked.
What It Costs and Who Gets What
The base price is 65,900 yuan, or about $9,900, and drops to 62,900 yuan with BYD's "Super Trade-in" promotion. That is cheaper than the first-gen Seagull's normal price of 69,900 yuan. For a buyer who wants flash charging, the entry point is the 75,900 yuan trim, roughly $11,400.
The trade-off is clear. The cheapest trims skip flash charging and get a free home charger instead. Buyers who live in apartments without parking, or who drive longer distances, will want the pricier trims. Buyers with a garage and a short commute can save money on the base model.
It is not clear this will hold outside China. BYD is expected to bring the upgraded version to Europe and other markets later, likely as the second-generation Dolphin Surf and Dolphin Mini. Pricing and charging standards in Europe are different, and the flash-charging stations do not exist there yet.
The Charging Race in China
BYD's charger is one of several megawatt-level systems announced in China over the past year. Geely has a 2.2 MW charger, CATL has a hyper-fast charging battery, and Chery announced a 1.44 MW system that adds 500 km of range in five minutes. Chery's system charges from 10% to 97% in 6 minutes and 50 seconds, which is 23 seconds behind CATL's record of 6 minutes 27 seconds.
BYD had already installed over 10,000 of its 1.5 MW chargers before the Seagull launch. Chery, by contrast, has only just started installing chargers and plans 20,000 stations worldwide by 2029. That is slower than BYD's target of 20,000 by the end of this year.
The competition has moved to seconds. Firms are now competing over how fast a battery can reach 97% state of charge, not over minutes. Some companies have released charging times in very cold or very warm weather, though Chery declined to share those figures during its announcement.
What This Means for Cheap EVs
The Seagull matters because it shows that fast charging is no longer a premium feature. A car that costs under $10,000 can now charge in five minutes, at least in China, and that changes what buyers can expect from the bottom of the market. It also puts pressure on every other budget EV maker to match the charging speed or explain why they cannot.
The risk is that the charging network does not keep pace with the cars. BYD's 20,000-station target for 2026 is ambitious, and a buyer with a flash-charging car who lives far from a station gets none of the benefit. The base trims exist for exactly that reason, and they come with a free home charger instead.
For readers following the EV market, the Seagull is a sign of where the price floor is heading. It is not a luxury car, and it does not pretend to be. It is a small, cheap, fast-charging hatchback, and that combination is new. BYD's bet is that the network follows the car, and that buyers will accept a lower trim if the charging infrastructure is not yet where they live.
The broader question is whether other markets follow. Europe and Southeast Asia do not have BYD's charging network, and local regulations add cost. But the Seagull proves the hardware can be built cheaply, and that is the part that travels.
See more EV coverage at desk coverage. For the original reporting, see Electrek.
A Closer Look at the Battery and Drivetrain
The Blade 2.0 pack is an LFP battery, which means it avoids nickel and cobalt. That keeps cost down and improves safety, though energy density is lower than nickel-based packs. BYD rates the car at about 9 kWh per 100 km, which is efficient for a small hatchback.
The switch to rear-wheel drive is new for the Seagull. The first generation was front-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive with a multi-link rear suspension is unusual at this price, and it changes how the car handles. The 85 or 95 kW motors are modest, but the car is light, so performance should be adequate for city use.
The 420 km CLTC range applies to the larger 39.2 kWh pack. CLTC figures are optimistic compared with WLTP or EPA ratings, so real-world range will be lower. For a city car, though, 300 km of real range is plenty.
