Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid becomes first car with a petrol engine brought to Singapore by BYD
The SUV runs on petrol, but can also cover around 80 km in fully electric mode
[SINGAPORE] For the first time, China auto giant BYD has launched a car with a petrol engine in Singapore, joining its current range of full electric vehicles (EVs) here.
Set to be launched on Wednesday (Jul 16), the Sealion 6 DM-i large sport utility vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that runs on petrol, but can also cover short distances on electricity alone.
It is priced from S$212,888 including a Certificate of Entitlement.
BYD said the aim is to capitalise on Singapore’s expanded charging facilities and greater acceptance of EVs, while still appealing to customers who worry about range.
BYD Singapore managing director James Ng told The Business Times: “We feel it is timely to introduce our Sealion 6 to Singapore now as the charging network is quite widespread, (yet) there are still a handful of customers who want to drive further, such as to Malaysia, but have concerns about chargers.”
According to Ng, orders for the Sealion 6 have numbered more than 100 units to date.
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Conventional hybrid EVs have a petrol engine, electric motor and battery. They recover energy from braking or slowing down, and can cover very short distances on full electricity, typically less than 1 km.
Unlike conventional hybrids, PHEVs have larger batteries that can be charged from an external source – the same as EVs – and can therefore travel further on full electric power.
BYD’s PHEVs combine the strengths of battery EVs and an internal combustion engine, said Ng. “With the electric range, you can charge every two or three days and drive it like an EV, but also go further without worry.”
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The Sealion has a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, with a maximum combined output of 216 kilowatts (kW).
The car is capable of 18 kW direct-current fast charging, meaning its 18.3 kW-hour battery pack can be charged in around 80 minutes. BYD estimates the car’s electric range at around 80 km and its total maximum range at 1,100 km.
BYD began operating in Singapore in 2014, and previously sold only EVs here.
Fuelled by aggressive sales tactics and government EV incentives, the Chinese brand has risen to the top of the Republic’s market, with 3,827 cars registered in the first five months of 2025. It aims to sell 10,000 cars by the end of the year.
PHEVs have been available in Singapore since 2013, but have not seen widespread adoption as they are typically more expensive than both conventional hybrids and EVs, due to the higher cost of larger batteries and lesser incentives.
Incentives for EVs go up to S$40,000, but the maximum incentive for a PHEV is S$2,500.
In the first five months of 2025, 159 PHEVs were registered, compared to 7,838 EVs.
But PHEVs make up a big chunk of its sales elsewhere. Of 380,000 passenger vehicles that BYD sold across all markets in June, 45 per cent were PHEVs.
In China, where most of BYD’s sales are, the same incentives apply to EVs and most PHEVs.
In Singapore, PHEVs have mainly come from more luxurious brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, with mainstream manufacturers like GAC, Jaecoo and Mazda introducing PHEV models here only this year.
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