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<\/p>\nTesla is the best-selling EV brand on the planet. However, that title\u2019s been under threat lately, especially after Q3\u2019s results. Chinese automaker BYD was a mere 3,000 cars from catching Tesla. Not content to rest on its laurels, the automaker plans on releasing more models, at more price points to capture the ever-fragmented number of EV buyers both inside and outside of China.<\/p>\n
The BYD Yuan UP might be just what the brand needs to close that gap. Or, even send the brand way past Tesla.<\/p>\n
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As originally reported by CarNewsChina<\/em>,\u00a0photos of the Yuan UP leaked in documents from the country’s Ministry of Information Technology. That agency is the last stop in the homologation process for cars to be sold in China. It\u2019s not ideal for the automakers, but it\u2019s great for the car folks\u2014it allows us to see the final designs and specifications of some vehicles before they\u2019re even on sale.\u00a0<\/p>\n The BYD Yuan UP is a small EV, about 4.3m long, or about 169 inches. That\u2019s, give or take, about the same size as a Chevrolet Trax. Power comes from a single motor, producing either 93 or 174 horsepower. It\u2019s all standard Chinese market EV stuff.<\/p>\n More importantly, this Yuan UP looks to share at least its base model motor with the smash-hit BYD Dolphin. Considering its somewhat budget appearance, the Yuan UP looks to be the SUV-styled counterpart to the fast-selling Dolphin as well as the\u00a0BYD Seagull. Sure, it\u2019s not exactly a challenge to the more upscale Model Y and Model X, but that\u2019s not the point here.\u00a0<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take a rocket scientist to see that SUV-shaped things are absolutely taking off in every part of the world, especially on the compact side of things. Also, BYD\u2019s Dolphin and Seagull have been wildly successful; BYD introduced the Seagull in March of this year, and it has already produced more than 200,000 this year. Likewise, BYD has manufactured more than 500,000 Dolphins \u2013 both of those cars sell like gangbusters, despite being distinctly car-shaped EVs.<\/p>\n It looks like the BYD Yuan UP could start at a price of around $14,000, that\u2019s ahead of the roughly $11,000 BYD Seagull, but below the $16,000 price of the Dolphin. Given how much everyone loves SUVs, the Yuan UP is primed to take China\u2019s EV market, and possibly the rest of the world, by storm. If the Yuan UP sells in the same way the Seagull and Dolphin do, then Tesla\u2019s title as the best-selling EV maker could be as good as gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Gallery: 2023 BYD Seagull <\/h3>\n