The fully electric BYD Seagull has been confirmed for South Africa, with an expected arrival later in 2025. Could this small hatchback grab the title of Mzansi’s cheapest EV?
The fully electric BYD Seagull – which is also known as the “Dolphin Mini” or “Dolphin Surf” in certain overseas markets – has been confirmed for South Africa, with a local arrival anticipated for later in 2025. And there’s at least a fair chance the diminutive hatchback will launch as Mzansi’s cheapest EV.
BYD Auto SA confirmed to Cars.co.za that the “Seagull will be here later this year”, though added that exact launch timing hasn’t yet been locked in. The Chinese firm’s reference to the “Seagull” name suggests that this will indeed be the badge used in the local market.
For the record, BYD applied to register the “Seagull” moniker in Mzansi in January 2025. This came shortly after its 2024 filing to trademark “Dolphin Mini” in South Africa hit a roadblock, with another party (perhaps the BMW Group that owns the Mini brand?) lodging an official opposition, effectively objecting to BYD’s intended use of the badge.
So, what do we know about the Seagull? Well, it’s set to slot in below the Dolphin, which – starting at R539 900 – is currently the local market’s 2nd most affordable EV. At present, the Dayun S5 is officially SA’s cheapest EV, priced from R399 900 to R449 900. Whether BYD will be able to position the Seagull as more affordable than this model remains to be seen.
Available in China since April 2023, the Seagull recently received a minor facelift (as pictured above) in its domestic market, gaining new front and rear bumpers as well as some extra equipment. For context, the diminutive BYD measures 3 780 mm from nose to tail, making it around 35 mm shorter than something like the Hyundai Exter.
In the world’s 2nd most populous nation, the Seagull is available with either a 30- or 39 kWh battery pack, offering respective single-charge claimed ranges of 305 km and 405 km (based on China’s CLTC testing procedure, that is). In either case, the front-mounted electric motor generates peak outputs of 55 kW and 135 Nm.
BYD recently doubled the size of its line-up in South Africa, adding the Shark 6 PHEV bakkie and Sealion 6 PHEV crossover as well as the fully electric Sealion 7 to a range that previously comprised only a trio of battery-powered models (the Dolphin, Atto 3 and Seal).
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