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So…I took my BYD Seal U DMI on a European Road trip.

BYDRIVER | 2025-09-12 14:46 | 26 views

After owning my Seal U DMI for 6 months, I decided to take it on a road trip across Europe. This was a fantastic opportunity to test its long-distance performance, including its claimed efficiency of 671 miles (1080 km) on a full tank and fully charged battery. Our journey would take us through France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Austria, spending several days in the latter 3 countries. Using Google Maps for planning, I anticipated driving approximately 2200 miles (3540 km). The day before our departure, I ensured the car was in top condition. I took it to the carwash, checked the tyre pressure to match the manufacturer's recommendation of 2.5 bar, and filled it up with E5 Premium fuel (Shell V-Power). Although I know regular E10 fuel would suffice, I prefer premium fuel for its added efficiency and engine-cleaning properties during long trips. Before going to bed, I plugged in the car to charge the battery overnight. The next morning, I woke up and began packing the car. We didn't have a lot of luggage—just one large suitcase and one small suitcase each, along with a six-pack of water and the European Travel Kit. It was just me and my partner, ready for our adventure. Middle England to Vluchtenburg Beach via Dover Our drive to Dover was about 150 miles (240 km). I typically drive my car in ECO mode, so I kept it that way for the trip. I adjusted the battery settings to target 50% power (the minimum is 25%) and set it to AUTO, allowing the car to decide when to use the battery or the internal combustion engine (ICE). The regenerative braking was set to HIGH. It was a warm day, with temperatures between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius, so we set the AC to 23 degrees. The drive was straightforward and uneventful, taking about 2.5 hours. We arrived in Dover to cross the channel with 42% battery left and 569 miles remaining. Unfortunately, the car only shows efficiency for the last 50 km, which was 61.4 MPG. My cumulative efficiency is 83.4 MPG because I charge at home and at work, generally driving in EV mode but switching to HEV for long-distance trips. Once we arrived on the mainland, we switched to km/h and L/100 km. I appreciate how easy it is to make this switch, as some cars require a restart. The drive from Calais(France) to our first destination at Vluchtenburg Beach (Netherlands) was about 210 miles (340 km). I love driving on the mainland and wish the UK would invest in its roads and motorways like the French or Dutch do. Belgian motorways are a mixed bag, but Dutch motorways are always a pleasure to drive on due to their excellent maintenance. I did notice that the speed limit in the Netherlands is now 100 km/h (62 mph) between 6 am and 7 pm. The last time I was there in 2018, just before the pandemic, it was still 130 km/h (80 mph). The lower motorway speed turned out to be beneficial for the car's efficiency. The battery recharged to the target power of 50%, occasionally reaching 52%. For the last 25 miles, I switched to EV mode due to start-and-stop traffic on the motorway and later urban driving. We arrived at our destination with 23% battery left and 350 km (218 miles) remaining in the fuel tank. Given that the last 25 miles were mainly in EV mode, the MPG was irrelevant but showed 85.6 MPG. The cumulative efficiency had decreased to 78.9 MPG from 83.4 MPG. Assuming I had driven the remaining 218 miles left in the tank, I would have achieved a total efficiency of about 583 miles on a full tank and battery versus the manufacturer’s claimed range of 671 miles. I had always been a bit skeptical of the manufacturer's claims, but this was nevertheless really promising. Discover more Vehicle Truck Car For the next three days, we enjoyed the Netherlands, sunny weather, and partied hard! We didn't drive and used public transport. Our next destination was Munich, Germany. The day before departure, I found an Esso fuel station nearby, as there were no Shell stations close by. I filled the car with their E5 premium fuel, Synergy Supreme, and charged the car at one of those 11 kW street chargers. Vluchtenburg Beach to Munich Early in the morning, around 7 am, we were ready to depart. The drive to Munich was going to be a long one, about 900 km (560 miles), with 90% of it on motorways. Having watched YouTube videos of reviewers driving the car at high speeds of around 130 km/h and above, which significantly reduced efficiency and increased consumption, I planned our trip carefully. Given that we would be driving at high speeds on motorways, I intended to rely on the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) on the motorway and minimize battery usage since we weren't planning on charging during our stops. The driving mode was already set on ECO. In the energy settings or battery settings as I call it, I set the target power to the maximum of 70% and enabled Save Mode Memory to prevent the setting from reverting to AUTO and the car using the battery. Additionally, I decided not to exceed 120 km/h (75 mph) and to use ICC (Intelligent Cruise Control) or ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) whenever possible. We drove the first few miles in EV mode until the battery reached 70%, at which point the ICE took over. On the Dutch motorways, the speed limit is 100 km/h (62 mph), which was very comfortable. Using ICC and listening to music, the time passed quickly. Once we entered Germany and got onto the Autobahn, we stuck to 120 km/h with ICC on. Occasionally, I had to overtake, and it became apparent that this car was not built for high speeds. The engine noise increased significantly when overtaking, as did wind noise. Despite setting the battery not to go below 70%, it would occasionally drop by 2-3% before recharging back to 70%. There was quite a bit of construction on the German Autobahn, so we often drove at lower speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph). Our first stop was after driving about 300 km (186 miles) at a service area near Cologne. We spent about 10 minutes there, used the restrooms, bought some average German pastries, and got back on the road. After another 300 km (186 miles), we stopped at services near Heidelberg. We took a longer break here for lunch and to stretch our legs. Although we could have fast charged the car, there was no need since the battery was still at 70%. The fuel tank showed 273 km (169 miles) left, and we had about 350 km (218 miles) to our destination. I wanted to drive until the warning light indicated we needed to refuel. It was late in the afternoon when we left the services, and after about 200 km (125 miles), the amber fuel light came on. I went into the energy settings, turned off Save Mode Memory, and set it to AUTO to allow the car to use the battery. I also lowered the target power to 25%, the lowest possible. The car started automatically using the battery. About 80 km (49 miles) before our destination, I decided to refuel to avoid getting stranded on the ring road around Munich. We had driven about 257 km (160 miles) when the car's display stopped showing the remaining miles, indicating the fuel tank was empty, even though there were still about 5 litres of fuel left. The battery still had 33%. In summary, we managed to drive 874 km (543 miles) on one full tank and a battery charged to 97%. The key points to remember are that we never exceeded 120 km/h (75 mph) and used ICC or ACC on the motorways, except in tricky situations with construction or by overtaking other cars. Driving the Car in the Mountains We spent a week in the Austrian mountains, and I would advise anyone taking this car into the mountains to ensure it is fully charged. Driving up mountains with a low battery can be quite a struggle, as the engine makes a lot of noise. However, when the battery is charged, the experience becomes much more enjoyable. The car also does an excellent job of recuperating energy while driving down the mountains. Final Thoughts On the way back, I used the same driving settings since we had a lot of motorway driving. Setting the Target Power to 70% and enabling Save Mode Memory seems to be the most efficient way to handle long-distance motorway driving. I would recommend these settings only if you are driving more than 250 miles. For distances below 250 miles, leaving it on AUTO and letting the car decide is sufficient. Another important tip for motorway driving is to limit your speed to 75 mph (120 km/h) and use ICC (Intelligent Cruise Control) or ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) to maintain stable, constant speeds. Avoid frequent acceleration and deceleration, as this increases consumption and lowers efficiency. The manufacturer claims a range of 671 miles (1080 km), which I did not manage to achieve. However, I am satisfied with the 540 to 560 miles (870 to 900 km) the car achieved in real-life conditions. I am planning another big road trip next year, which I might film, so my partner/co-pilot won't have to take notes. The car was generally very comfortable, sound system was excellent and crisp, seats were very comfortable, AC worked well although it needs to be calibrated to European standards. In a Western car you usually set the AC at 21 degrees when it’s hot out. If you set a BYD at 21 degrees then you just freeze so 23/24 degrees seemed to be the best temperature setting. What has your experience been? Autos & Vehicles

Comments (6)
riskebyd 2025-09-14 08:47

Excellent thank you very useful information as our family are planning a trip to Morzine in December in my Seal U Design AWD

Fishman 2025-09-18 08:13

I have given up trying to ascertain what my Seal U does to the gallon ! The readouts, in relation to MPG, seem to be widely inaccurate in that it sometimes says I’ve used 4 gallons and done 426 miles but when I refuel it takes 6.8 gallons to fill it up with no problem at all. As for the electric side of the equation I have it set up as it came from the dealer, 70% and Auto, whatever that means and I have absolutely no idea when or if the electric motor has cut in or not, in other words I don’t feel or hear it do so! I suppose it must do because I see the charge level going down. I charge it once a month from a granny charger at 13amp which takes about 7hrs. However, I’m enjoying the car, it’s not a sports car, it’s a family SUV with a tiny 1.5 litre engine, it handles well enough as long as you don’t drive it with too much vim or vigour and it’s terrific value for the money. Only time and use will tell if it was a good purchase regarding reliability and build quality but I’m of an age where it doesn’t bother me much anymore. I prefer a V8, have always been happiest when owning V8s but times, finances and public/government opinions change and so I’ve had to bend with the wind and this Seal U isn’t an uncomfortable or annoying place to be, especially at the price point. But your excellent review of your trip and those stats are most helpful and informative. All I need now is to get my old head around all the electric stuff

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renedekat 2025-09-24 07:37

Thanks for that detailed story. We would like to do the same next summer from Northern Ireland. I was wondering if you had any issues with the alarm on the ferry. In the manual of our Sealion 7 it says that there's a yaw alarm, which will go into transport mode when on a ferry or train. It implies that this happens automatically. On my previous car I could disable it with a button, which gives a lot more confidence than magic. Thanks! SUVs & Crossovers

Puds65 2026-02-06 12:30

Thanks BYDriver, An excellent detailed review and really helpful as am looking to by a Seal U but had heard worrying things about overtaking at speed (60+) and going uphill. Can I ask what version you were driving (Boost, Comfort or Design)? I was looking at the Boost but was worried about the points I made above and wondered whether the Design slough more expensive was the better option. Obviously I would prefer to spend the lose amount if possible! Thanks again for an excellent review. PU

BYDRIVER 2026-02-06 21:53

Hi Puds65 My BYD Seal U is the Boost version. Choose according to your driving style. As long as the battery is charged, the car performs excellently. I did experience difficulty driving up the Austrian mountains with a very low battery, but once charged, there were no issues. The Design version features all-wheel drive, a turbo, and increased horsepower, which should alleviate any performance concerns you might have. Personally, I prefer naturally aspirated engines, like in the Boost version, and I'm not a fan of turbocharged engines because they are less reliable. Based on what I know now, I believe the Comfort version might be the best all round option due to its larger battery and EV range. Autos & Vehicles

Puds65 2026-02-07 08:28

Thanks BYDriver, That is really helpful indeed. Thanks again.

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