Richard Bush reports back on our Sealion 7 electric SUV long-termer.

BYD Sealion 7 Excellence AWD

P11D: £59,960  BiK: 4%  Efficiency: 3.0mpkWh  Range: 312 miles  On fleet: 300 miles

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When shopping for an EV, you may have come across the term vehicle-to-load (V2L). But what does it mean exactly? Not to be confused with vehicle-to-home (V2H) or vehicle-to-grid (V2G), V2L essentially allows you to use your car like a giant battery pack and power external devices.

You do this via an adapter cable that plugs directly into the car’s charging port. The Sealion 7 can provide up to 3.3kW of AC power – enough for small devices such as mobile phones and laptops, but it’s also capable of powering cooler boxes, power tools and even a fridge. In other words, many camping essentials and powercut must-haves are fair game.

In real-world use, devices such as a phone charger (10W), laptop (65W) or TV (100W) barely scratch the surface of the Sealion 7’s 3,300W continuous output. Even more power-hungry appliances such as a toaster (1,500W), fan heater (2,000W) or kettle (3,000W) remain within the car’s capabilities, although you do need to keep an eye on the combined load if running multiple appliances at once.

During testing, I had a laptop, mobile phone and kettle connected via the same extension lead without issue. It sounds like a gimmick until you’re standing next to an electric SUV making a cup of tea. If you exceed the Sealion 7’s 3.3kW output limit, the vehicle’s protection systems will automatically shut down the V2L supply.

To put the battery’s capacity into perspective, the Sealion 7’s 91.3kWh battery could theoretically power a phone for around 9,000 hours or a TV for around 900 hours. It also stores enough energy to boil hundreds of kettles, one after another. Proof that V2L is far more than a novelty feature.

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When it comes to electric car range, I’ve always said that the most important factor is predictability. I’d much rather have a car that reliably delivers 150 miles than one that claims 250 and leaves me stranded with an 80-mile deficit. I’ve experienced that first-hand in the Scottish Highlands: 5% battery remaining, radio off, air-con off, fingers crossed. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thankfully, electric cars are becoming far more trustworthy in this regard.

The past few weeks have seen me tackle my first batch of longer journeys in the BYD Sealion 7 Excellence AWD, the longest-range model in the Sealion 7 line-up. It features a 91.3kWh battery and a dual-motor powertrain producing 53ohp, with a claimed combined WLTP range of 312 miles.

Naturally, I was keen to put those claims to the test. Over eight drives covering around 600 miles, I set off with a mixture of full and half charges to see whether the car’s predictions stacked up. The result? The BYD finished 12 miles in the black overall.
Interestingly, the most accurate estimates came when setting off with a full battery, which isn’t always the case with EVs. In fact, on two separate 100-mile-plus journeys, I arrived with exactly the amount of range the car had predicted before I left. Absolutely on the button.

The public charging network has improved dramatically in recent years, but there’s still real value in a car that allows you to plan charging stops on your terms — or skip them altogether — rather than its own.

Next, I’m interested to see how the Sealion 7 copes with lots of shorter 20- to 50-mile trips, where efficiency can often tell a very different story.

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Some cars have an unquantifiable aura the moment you sit in them for the first time. That aura isn’t always positive. In motoring circles, we usually simplify it with highly technical industry terms such as ‘boring’, ‘cheap’ or ‘samey’.

The Sealion 7 is the first BYD I’ve driven, so I climbed aboard with no real preconceptions whatsoever. But I can tell you now – it falls into none of those categories.

It exudes the sort of polish you’d expect from a brand that’s been refining premium cars for generations. There are plenty of fanciful touches that – let’s be honest – are probably unnecessary, but they all help create a genuinely luxurious, well-rounded package. Pop-out door handles, a rotating touchscreen, height-adjustable cup holders, an augmented reality-style reversing camera, music-syncing ambient lighting, and enough padded leather trim to make you instinctively lower your voice when you climb in.

Even the doors close with the heavy, reassuring thud of an aircraft cabin door, while the seats resemble those dangerously comfortable airport massage chairs. Honestly, the whole thing feels like a warm hug.

It’s spacious, too. On a quick family trip to the park, the 520-litre boot swallowed two kids’ bikes with ease, while rear legroom feels closer to a luxury saloon than a family SUV.

I’ve only had the chance to sample the Sealion 7 on a handful of shorter journeys so far, but initial impressions are hugely positive. The ride can feel a touch wallowy over uneven roads, yet the car still feels refined, confident and impressively complete – even if it is a little conservative in the fun department.

Now let’s see how it handles weekend road trips with the kids and dog in tow.