BYD Halts Domestic Sales of 'Sealion 7' in China, Shifts All Production to Exports

*This content was translated by AI.

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has halted domestic sales of the electric SUV "Sealion 7" (Chinese name: Sealion 07 EV), which recorded cumulative sales of 215,000 units, and converted its entire domestic production line into a global export base. The model has been removed from official consumer purchasing applications in China, and remaining inventory is being sold off through local dealer networks.

This move is part of a portfolio realignmentconsidering the shifting preferences in China's domestic market toward plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) modelsand the higher profitability of overseas markets. In fact, monthly registrations of the pure electric Sealion 7 model in China during the first half of 2026 remained at only 100 to 300 units per month. Meanwhile, the PHEV model Sealion 06 led domestic growth by delivering 18,856 units in May 2026 alone. Previously, BYD had also ended domestic sales of the Sealion 6 model and shifted it entirely to exports.

In contrast, overseas demand for the Sealion 7 continues to rise steadily. As of June 2026, global deliveries of the Sealion 7 reached 12,636 units, while total June global sales across the entire Sealion lineup amounted to 47,624 units, with cumulative annual sales reaching 178,358 units. In the Australian market, 4,730 right-hand-drive units were delivered in June alone, pushing cumulative sales since February 2025 beyond 25,000 units. The model also recorded the top single-model sales in Hong Kong for 2025 and has recently expanded into the South African market. A similar trend is observed domestically. BYD Korea sold 1,117 units last month alone.

From a production and parts strategy perspective, this shift aims to optimize factory utilization by redirecting vehicle production lines based on the "e-Platform 3.0 Evo" architecture and first-generation lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery packs toward exports.The domestic lineup will eventually be replaced by next-generation systems such as the Sealion 08, scheduled for future launch.

Additionally, a strategy leveraging price differentials to avoid intense domestic price competition in China and secure higher profits has been implemented. Vehicles previously sold in China at approximately 200,000 yuan (about 449 million won) are now priced between $58,900 and $73,600 in European markets, enabling significantly higher profit margins.

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*This content was translated by AI.