BYD hot-hatch revealed and Ocean M make it to Australia

While not yet confirmed for Australian showrooms it would give BYD a direct rival to the MG4 and Volkswagen ID.3, with the unveiling of the Ocean M in hot-hatch spec suggesting it could also serve not only as a rival to the MG4 X-Power but also as a cut-price alternative to the BMW i4 and electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 EVs.

While conventional sedans are still popular in China, with several car makers revealing fresh models at the Beijing show, BYD’s presentation of a performance Ocean M suggests it is targeting Europe – the home of the hot hatch.

Built on a new BYD platform – using the latest Blade 2 battery technology announced earlier this year – the Ocean M was presented in head-turning orange paintwork with an aggressive aero package, contrasting dark-finish alloy wheels, black roof and twin-hatch mounted rear wings.

The bulked-up concept car’s body featured cameras in place of the external rear-vision mirrors as well as flush door handles, but the interior has not been revealed.

Here, the Ocean M’s battery packs – which have more tightly packed cells known as ‘blades’ compared to conventional batteries – are part of the vehicle’s structure, helping weight efficiency, packaging and driving dynamics.

Blade 2 technology is also claimed to offer up to 1000km of range between charges, with energy density 25 per cent better than BYD’s first-generation Blade batteries in the Seal, Dolphin and Atto 3 in Australian showrooms.

Production of the Blade 2 batteries is set to start in August, with the Ocean M set to follow ahead of a planned on-sale in China shortly after.

Priced at between ¥150,000 to ¥200,000 ($A32,000 to $A42,000) in China, if the Ocean M does make it to Australia, it’s expected to cost around $55,000 – with the MG4 ranging from $39k to $60k.

BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s largest producer of EVs in 2023 and is the second-largest battery supplier behind market leader CATL.

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