Latest news with #BYDSeal
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
I replaced my Tesla Model 3 with a BYD Seal. I want nothing to do with Elon Musk anymore.
Kevin Bond bought a Tesla Model 3 with money from his pension after he retired. 5 years later, he replaced it with a BYD Seal after becoming uncomfortable with Elon Musk's actions. Bond said the Seal is quicker and better built than the Model 3, with a nicer interior. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kevin Bond, a retired director of mental health services from Devon, UK, about swapping his Tesla Model 3 for a BYD Seal. It has been edited for length and clarity. I've lived in Devon for three years. I'm retired now, but I was a director of mental health services and the chief executive of a not-for-profit health and social care company. I bought the Tesla Model 3 in 2020 when I retired, with the lump sum you get with your occupational pension, for my wife. We sold it around three months ago. It just felt really uncomfortable that a single penny of our money would go anywhere near Elon Musk. I've always been a bit uncomfortable with Musk, but as time went on, my wife and I became increasingly uneasy. I think that there's a point where it's beyond just unpleasant, and you believe this guy is actively creating hate and division between people. When the [Southport] riots happened, it felt like he was fanning the flames. I'm not at all comfortable with that, and I don't want to be associated with it. I think he stepped over a line. His support for far-right parties in Germany and his spreading of misinformation is just disgraceful. Model 3 woes If I'm honest, I never really liked the Model 3 that much. There was no denying that when you first got in, it was exciting. You put your foot down, and it goes very fast. But for me, it was not very comfortable. The seats weren't well made, and the interior was cheap and nasty. Many of the important settings were adjusted via the display screen, so your eyes were off the road when they should have been on the road. The doors weren't fitted that well, so you got quite a bit of cabin noise, and after a couple of years, the suspension started squeaking heavily. It just felt cheap. Personally, I didn't think it was very well put together. Initially, the service was OK, but after a few years, the response was awful. It's probably the worst service I've ever had from any car dealer. When we sold the Tesla, it had the worst depreciation of any car I've ever owned. We sold it for just over £10,000 [$13,500] after buying it for nearly £50,000. [Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.] Buying a BYD When we started looking for a new car, I thought that we would have to compromise. What we found was that there are quite a lot of cars that have caught up and overtaken Tesla, both in terms of quality, but also on range and price. We got the BYD Seal around the same time we sold the Tesla. We bought an ex-demonstrator vehicle that was a year old. It's quicker than the Tesla — it accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds — and it has a longer range. You can also charge it to 100% without damaging the battery. It's just a beautifully built car, and very comfortable. If you shut the doors, they go thunk, as they should, and there's no wind noise in the cabin. It's got ambient lighting, vented seats, and head-up displays, all the things that you might expect in a car that you pay a lot of money for. It's hard to find things to fault with it. The media system is a bit clunky and glitchy, and it's a tiny bit slower to charge. However, we do most of our charging at home, and with the Seal having more range, the slower charge time isn't really an issue. It drives beautifully on the road. You would put it through a corner in a way that I wouldn't drive in the Tesla. It feels safe and it feels solid. If I could give scores, I'd give the BYD nine out of ten and probably one out of ten for the Tesla. Have you swapped your Tesla for a BYD or bought a Chinese EV? Contact this reporter at tcarter@ Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
I replaced my Tesla Model 3 with a BYD Seal. I want nothing to do with Elon Musk anymore.
Kevin Bond bought a Tesla Model 3 with money from his pension after he retired. 5 years later, he replaced it with a BYD Seal after becoming uncomfortable with Elon Musk's actions. Bond said the Seal is quicker and better built than the Model 3, with a nicer interior. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kevin Bond, a retired director of mental health services from Devon, UK, about swapping his Tesla Model 3 for a BYD Seal. It has been edited for length and clarity. I've lived in Devon for three years. I'm retired now, but I was a director of mental health services and the chief executive of a not-for-profit health and social care company. I bought the Tesla Model 3 in 2020 when I retired, with the lump sum you get with your occupational pension, for my wife. We sold it around three months ago. It just felt really uncomfortable that a single penny of our money would go anywhere near Elon Musk. I've always been a bit uncomfortable with Musk, but as time went on, my wife and I became increasingly uneasy. I think that there's a point where it's beyond just unpleasant, and you believe this guy is actively creating hate and division between people. When the [Southport] riots happened, it felt like he was fanning the flames. I'm not at all comfortable with that, and I don't want to be associated with it. I think he stepped over a line. His support for far-right parties in Germany and his spreading of misinformation is just disgraceful. Model 3 woes If I'm honest, I never really liked the Model 3 that much. There was no denying that when you first got in, it was exciting. You put your foot down, and it goes very fast. But for me, it was not very comfortable. The seats weren't well made, and the interior was cheap and nasty. Many of the important settings were adjusted via the display screen, so your eyes were off the road when they should have been on the road. The doors weren't fitted that well, so you got quite a bit of cabin noise, and after a couple of years, the suspension started squeaking heavily. It just felt cheap. Personally, I didn't think it was very well put together. Initially, the service was OK, but after a few years, the response was awful. It's probably the worst service I've ever had from any car dealer. When we sold the Tesla, it had the worst depreciation of any car I've ever owned. We sold it for just over £10,000 [$13,500] after buying it for nearly £50,000. [Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.] Buying a BYD When we started looking for a new car, I thought that we would have to compromise. What we found was that there are quite a lot of cars that have caught up and overtaken Tesla, both in terms of quality, but also on range and price. We got the BYD Seal around the same time we sold the Tesla. We bought an ex-demonstrator vehicle that was a year old. It's quicker than the Tesla — it accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds — and it has a longer range. You can also charge it to 100% without damaging the battery. It's just a beautifully built car, and very comfortable. If you shut the doors, they go thunk, as they should, and there's no wind noise in the cabin. It's got ambient lighting, vented seats, and head-up displays, all the things that you might expect in a car that you pay a lot of money for. It's hard to find things to fault with it. The media system is a bit clunky and glitchy, and it's a tiny bit slower to charge. However, we do most of our charging at home, and with the Seal having more range, the slower charge time isn't really an issue. It drives beautifully on the road. You would put it through a corner in a way that I wouldn't drive in the Tesla. It feels safe and it feels solid. If I could give scores, I'd give the BYD nine out of ten and probably one out of ten for the Tesla. Have you swapped your Tesla for a BYD or bought a Chinese EV? Contact this reporter at tcarter@ Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
I replaced my Tesla Model 3 with a BYD Seal. I want nothing to do with Elon Musk anymore.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kevin Bond, a retired director of mental health services from Devon, UK, about swapping his Tesla Model 3 for a BYD Seal. It has been edited for length and clarity. I've lived in Devon for three years. I'm retired now, but I was a director of mental health services and the chief executive of a not-for-profit health and social care company. I bought the Tesla Model 3 in 2020 when I retired, with the lump sum you get with your occupational pension, for my wife. We sold it around three months ago. It just felt really uncomfortable that a single penny of our money would go anywhere near Elon Musk. I've always been a bit uncomfortable with Musk, but as time went on, my wife and I became increasingly uneasy. I think that there's a point where it's beyond just unpleasant, and you believe this guy is actively creating hate and division between people. When the [Southport] riots happened, it felt like he was fanning the flames. I'm not at all comfortable with that, and I don't want to be associated with it. I think he stepped over a line. His support for far-right parties in Germany and his spreading of misinformation is just disgraceful. Model 3 woes If I'm honest, I never really liked the Model 3 that much. There was no denying that when you first got in, it was exciting. You put your foot down, and it goes very fast. But for me, it was not very comfortable. The seats weren't well made, and the interior was cheap and nasty. Many of the important settings were adjusted via the display screen, so your eyes were off the road when they should have been on the road. The doors weren't fitted that well, so you got quite a bit of cabin noise, and after a couple of years, the suspension started squeaking heavily. It just felt cheap. Personally, I didn't think it was very well put together. Initially, the service was OK, but after a few years, the response was awful. It's probably the worst service I've ever had from any car dealer. When we sold the Tesla, it had the worst depreciation of any car I've ever owned. We sold it for just over £10,000 [$13,500] after buying it for nearly £50,000. [Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.] Buying a BYD When we started looking for a new car, I thought that we would have to compromise. What we found was that there are quite a lot of cars that have caught up and overtaken Tesla, both in terms of quality, but also on range and price. We got the BYD Seal around the same time we sold the Tesla. We bought an ex-demonstrator vehicle that was a year old. It's quicker than the Tesla — it accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds — and it has a longer range. You can also charge it to 100% without damaging the battery. It's just a beautifully built car, and very comfortable. If you shut the doors, they go thunk, as they should, and there's no wind noise in the cabin. It's got ambient lighting, vented seats, and head-up displays, all the things that you might expect in a car that you pay a lot of money for. It's hard to find things to fault with it. The media system is a bit clunky and glitchy, and it's a tiny bit slower to charge. However, we do most of our charging at home, and with the Seal having more range, the slower charge time isn't really an issue. It drives beautifully on the road. You would put it through a corner in a way that I wouldn't drive in the Tesla. It feels safe and it feels solid. If I could give scores, I'd give the BYD nine out of ten and probably one out of ten for the Tesla.
Daily Record
10-07-2025
- Daily Record
Man in hospital after serious crash which closed Dumfries and Galloway road for more than 12 hours
Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision on the A75 near Creetown in the early hours of Wednesday morning. A man was taken to hospital following a serious crash which closed a Dumfries and Galloway road for more than 12 hours. The A75 was shut near Creetown for most of Wednesday following the accident, which happened in the early hours of the morning. A blue BYD Seal car and a white lorry were involved in the accident, with the car driven taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for treatment. The lorry driver was taken to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary but was uninjured. The accident happened at around 2.15am, with the road not re-opening until around 4pm to allow police investigations to be carried out. Sergeant Colin Ramage said: 'I am appealing to anyone who was travelling on the A75 around 2.15am on Wednesday, July 9, and saw what happened to contact us. 'Likewise, if you saw either vehicle prior to the collision and have information which may assist our investigation, please get in touch. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'I'd also ask drivers with dash-cam footage to review this and bring anything of significance to our attention.' Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference number 0283 of July 9. A Scottish Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: 'We received a call in the early hours of Wednesday, July 9, to attend a two-vehicle road traffic collision on the A75 at Creetown. 'Three ambulances, a trauma team and a BASICS Scotland doctor were dispatched to the scene. 'One patient was transported to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and another patient to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.'
ArabGT
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- ArabGT
2025 BYD Seal 7 Review
2025 BYD Seal 7; In a global automotive market once dominated by American and European titans, BYD has risen from China not just to compete, but to lead. The BYD Seal 07 DM-i, formerly known as the Seal DM-i until its renaming in 2024, is the brand's ambitious full-size plug-in hybrid sedan. Revealed in prototype form as the Destroyer 07 at Auto Shanghai 2023, the production model symbolizes BYD's aggressive push into the upper tiers of the hybrid segment. Exterior Design At first glance, the BYD Seal 7 DM-i signals a clear focus on aerodynamic performance. Its sleek, flowing lines are designed to reduce drag and enhance efficiency, not just to please the eye. The aggressive front fascia features interactive LED headlamps (on the Premium model) and functional air vents that aid in both cooling and aerodynamic balance. A front radar and cameras suggest the presence of advanced semi-autonomous features. Along the sides, its nearly 5-meter length is well-proportioned, offering generous cabin space. Flush-fitting retractable door handles add a futuristic touch, while the dual-tone 18-inch wheels provide a sporty yet comfortable stance. At the rear, droplet-inspired taillights create a distinctive light signature, and the hands-free power trunk lid opens to reveal 465 liters of cargo space—adequate, though slightly compromised by the battery layout. 2025 BYD Seal 7 Interior Step inside the Seal 07 and you're met with a tech-forward, premium cabin that feels more cockpit than car. The Premium trim features high-grade leather upholstery, and customers can choose between sophisticated gray-black or bold red-beige color schemes. The centerpiece is a 15.6-inch rotatable infotainment display (12.8 inches in the base model), which shifts from landscape to portrait with a tap. While visually impressive, its functional value may be limited beyond showmanship. Comfort is a priority: the front seats are well-cushioned and supportive, while the rear legroom is generous. The middle rear seat, however, may feel stiff and elevated for taller passengers. Highlights include a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system with engine noise isolation, a 50W cooled wireless charger, ambient lighting, and abundant charging ports—all contributing to an upscale, thoughtful interior. Mechanical Specifications The Seal 07 DM-i is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined 270 hp and 220 Nm of torque. Power is delivered through an e-CVT transmission to the front wheels. Its 17.6 kWh battery offers an impressive electric-only range of up to 75 kilometers—sufficient for most daily commutes without using fuel. Weighing in at 1,915 kg, the sedan accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and has a top speed electronically limited to 180 km/h. Fuel efficiency is a standout, with consumption rated at just 6.2 liters per 100 km under ideal conditions. The ride quality is exceptional thanks to a multi-link rear suspension that smooths out rough surfaces, rivaling the comfort of German luxury sedans. Handling is composed, noise insulation is excellent, and overall performance is well-balanced for a hybrid vehicle. 2025 BYD Seal 7 Price In the UAE, the BYD Seal 7 DM-i starts at $29,920 (approximately AED 109,900 or SAR 112,220). The fully loaded Premium trim is priced at $35,370 (around AED 129,900 or SAR 132,640). With its blend of tech, comfort, and economy, the Seal 07 positions itself as a compelling alternative to established hybrids like the Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, and Ford Taurus.
