NEW DELHI: BYD Co. launched its electric utility vehicle Sealion 7 in India on Saturday as the Chinese carmaker seeks to increase its market share in the country’s budding segment.
The company did not give details of pricing as it started accepting bookings for the vehicle at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 (formerly known as Auto Expo) here.
Deliveries will begin in March, said Shrirang Joshi, national sales head of electric passenger vehicles in India.
He said the model will have two variants.
"It gives a range of 1,092 km with full charge and full tank,” said Rajeev Chauhan, head of electric passenger vehicle business at BYD India.
Chauhan said the company is aiming to have 40 dealerships by the end of this month. Currently, BYD has four products in India including E Max 7, Seal and two variants of Atto 3.
The Chinese automaker will compete with the likes of local giants Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. and Tata Motors Ltd. as well as Asian rivals SAIC Motor Corp Ltd.’s India joint venture.
Automakers are bolstering their EV line-ups in India, as the world’s third-biggest greenhouse gas emitter seeks to decarbonise its economy.
BYD has been operating in the country since 2007 and currently has over 3,000 employees.
Its EV plans come at a time when China is making it harder for skilled staff and specialised equipment needed in India and Southeast Asia to leave its border.
Beijing wants to limit the transfer of advanced technology for EV manufacturing, and officials had told carmakers at a meeting last year that they shouldn’t make any auto-related investments in India, Bloomberg News previously reported.
