BYD has been a major player in the electric vehicle (EV) industry from its Seagull model that only costs $11,400 to its latest launch of its Sea Lion 07, but with the Biden administration’s quadrupling tariffs on Chinese EVs, the United States (U.S.) market may not see their arrival for now. 

Recently, it was reported that the Biden administration is going to quadruple tariffs on Chinese EVs, possibly raising them from the current 25% to as high as 100%. These actions by the Biden administration come from concerns regarding low-priced Chinese EVs that could disrupt and take over the U.S. EV market with increased competition that U.S. automakers could struggle with. Particularly, BYD’s Seagull is one of them, posing a massive challenge that the U.S. EV market will have difficulty addressing upon according to the Associated Press.

With a starting price of $11,400 and a shorter-range version that costs under $10,000, the Seagull comes with an estimated 251 miles of range and can charge from 30% to 80% in 30 minutes. As for its acceleration specs, the Seagull boasts a top speed of 81 mph and hits 31 mph in 4.9 seconds. However, its affordability poses a challenge for U.S. automakers to compete, making the Seagull launch in the U.S. EV market unlikely with new tariffs impending from the Biden administration. 

Furthermore, BYD recently launched its latest Sea Lion 07 SUV which also comes at an outstandingly affordable price point of around $26,250. The Sea Lion 07 marks BYD’s first EV model to be based on its new e-Platform 3.0 Evo with improved integration of the electric powertrain and charging capabilities. With an estimated range of up to 379 miles and charging speed from 10% to 80% in 25 minutes, the Sea Lion 07 also comes with DiPilot 100 “God’s Eye” ADAS, which is a system containing 12 ultrasonic radars, five mm-wave radars, and 11 cameras for advanced drive-assist features. Yet, it may not see the U.S. EV market as well. 

With the current U.S. EV market, the most affordable EV available is the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV with a starting price of $27,495. Nevertheless, it still does not beat BYD Seagull’s starting price. Moreover, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had told industry analysts earlier in the year that Chinese EVs boast more impressive features stating, “They will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world.” As a result, challenges remain for Chinese EVs including BYD’s entry into the U.S. EV market despite having expanded to other EV markets in Europe and South America with other EV models like its BYD Han, BYD Seal, BYD Dolphin, and more.

As the U.S. EV market continues to grow, the entry of Chinese EVs is still in a spiral as U.S. lawmakers are hesitant with the Biden administration’s new tariffs being the obstacle that Chinese EVs are unable to access. As Chinese automakers and the U.S. EV market monitor the situation regarding the new tariffs, the issue of EV accessibility in certain markets will be a challenge for the EV industry to overcome. 

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