BYD brings 5-minute charging to $10,000 EV with 2027 Seagull

The world's largest EV maker, BYD, just announced the 2027 edition of one of the best value-for-money electric cars available anywhere, the Seagull that is known in Europe as the Dolphin.

Not exactly a hot hatch with its top 127 hp output, the 2027 Seagull has many other virtues, chief among which is the $9,800 starting price and the trims that come with BYD's Flash Charge system that can top up a vehicle to near full battery capacity in under ten minutes. That is $700 less than the outgoing model, too, and there's a lot more car for the money this time around.

2027 BYD Seagull range and charging speed

As mentioned, the Seagull now supports BYD's Flash Charging network of 1.5 MW T-shaped piles thanks to its Blade Battery 2 LFP chemistry. The 2027 Seagull can be charged to 70% in just five minutes if fans get one of the upper trims that start from about a grand more. The versions with a 39.2 kWh Blade Battery 2.0. go up to $14,900, and 5-minute charging speed is a staggering figure for a city runabout at this price point.

The car itself has grown up too. At 4,205 mm long with a 2,650 mm wheelbase, the new Seagull is 425 mm longer than before and finally seats five people instead of four. It has, in fact, moved closer to the Dolphin in size, which probably explains why BYD would sell it under different names abroad, including Dolphin Mini and Atto 1.

Power comes from a single 85 kW or 95 kW rear motor, so 114 or 127 hp. Range is rated at up to 420 km on the CLTC cycle, which translates to about 340 km on the more realistic WLTP, or less than 200 miles on the most demanding EPA test. The smaller 30.1 kWh pack manages 320 km CLTC, but the 5-minute charging speed still makes the new Seagull something else than a strictly city car, provided there are enough BYD Flash Chargers along the way.

There is plenty of tech as well, as the buyer would get a 15.6-inch screen with a computer running DeepSeek AI, a 50 W wireless charger, ventilated and heated front seats with a massage function for the driver, and an optional LiDAR-equipped BYD DiPilot 300 driver assistance suite.

BYD has one-upped itself since global Seagull sales dropped 33% over the first nine months of 2026, and in China the fall was a brutal 66% thanks to the raging competition that swooped in to take a bite at the lucrative market. Geely's EX2 is the main culprit, having sold 310,000 units to become the country's bestselling car.

The new Seagull is a direct, well-appointed answer with a clear competitive advantage thanks to the fast-charging architecture and the starting price cut that put the 2027 Seagull in a league of its own, so it will be interesting to see if it manages to lure customers back.

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