BYD Sealion 06 EV vs Song Plus EV: 605 km from 18 kWh Less Battery

Both of these BYD electric SUVs are rated at 605 km CLTC. The Sealion 06 EV does it with a 69.07 kWh battery; the Song Plus EV needs 87.04 kWh. That is roughly 18 kWh — about 21% more cells — for the same distance, and it shows up in the consumption figures: 12.7 kWh/100 km against 14.1. The Sealion 06 is also the bigger car, the faster car, the rear-wheel-drive car, and the one that charges at 237 kW instead of 140 kW. The Song Plus EV’s counter-argument is that it is the established export model with a track record in overseas markets, and that front-wheel drive is the more forgiving layout on poor surfaces.

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Why this comparison, for Ethiopia

Since 29 January 2024, Ethiopia has banned the import of new petrol and diesel private vehicles. Battery-electric vehicles carry 15% customs duty with VAT, excise tax and surtax waived — the full picture is in our guide to importing electric cars from China to Ethiopia.

Both cars here are pure battery-electric. Both are left-hand drive, both seat five, both sit well inside the under-10-passenger scope. Neither has any compliance question attached to it. This is purely a question of which vehicle serves the customer better.

You can also put their specifications side by side before deciding. They are also the two cars a buyer at this level actually cross-shops. The Song Plus EV has been in export markets for years; the Sealion 06 is the newer platform. A customer who has researched Chinese electric SUVs online will have encountered both.

The specification table

All figures are from the manufacturer’s published configuration tables for the current cars.

BYD does not publish a 0–100 km/h figure for the Song Plus EV. We have left that cell blank rather than estimate it from the motor output, which would be guesswork.

The efficiency gap is the whole story

605 km from 69.07 kWh, against 605 km from 87.04 kWh.

Put that another way: the Sealion 06 travels 8.8 km per kWh of installed battery; the Song Plus EV travels 7.0 km. The published consumption figures say the same thing from the other direction — 12.7 kWh/100 km against 14.1.

This is a platform-generation difference, not a trim difference, and it compounds in three places a customer will actually notice:

• Electricity cost per kilometre is roughly 10% lower on the Sealion 06 at the same tariff. Over a vehicle’s life that is a real number, and it is the argument that closes with fleet buyers who model running cost.
• Charging takes less energy to accomplish the same range. On AC overnight — which is how most Ethiopian owners will charge, given roughly 100 public stations against an estimated 2,300+ needed nationwide — a smaller pack reaching the same range means a shorter session for the same result.
• Less battery mass to carry up a gradient. Ethiopian highland driving punishes weight, and a smaller pack for the same range is the right side of that trade.

The Song Plus EV’s answer is the 710 km figure it cannot match — that belongs to the Sealion 06’s 82.73 kWh version, which extends the lead rather than closing it.

Rear-wheel drive versus front-wheel drive

The Sealion 06 EV is rear-wheel drive. The Song Plus EV is front-wheel drive. At this price point that is unusual, and it deserves a straight assessment rather than a sales line.

What rear drive gives you: better weight distribution under acceleration, no torque steer, and a cleaner front axle that only has to steer. Combined with 240–270 kW and a 6.8-second 0–100 km/h, the Sealion 06 is a genuinely quick vehicle, and the rear layout is why it can deploy that power without fighting the steering.

What front drive gives you: more forgiving behaviour on loose, wet or gravel surfaces, where a rear-driven car with a lot of torque needs more care from the driver. On unsurfaced roads — a substantial share of Ethiopia’s network outside the main corridors — this is not a trivial advantage.

The honest summary: if your customer drives mainly on sealed roads and values performance, rear drive is better. If they routinely drive on loose surfaces and the car will be handed to a range of drivers, front drive is the safer specification. Neither of these is an off-road vehicle and neither should be sold as one.

Charging: 237 kW against 140 kW, and what that is worth in Ethiopia

The Sealion 06 EV takes 237 kW on DC and reaches 30–80% in about 18 minutes. The Song Plus EV takes 90 kW on the 520 km version and 140 kW on the 605 km version, taking roughly 28 to 30 minutes for the same window.

That gap is real and, in Ethiopia, mostly theoretical. With around 100 public charging stations nationwide and no guarantee any of them delivers 237 kW, a car that can accept that rate still charges at whatever the post provides. Be precise with the customer: what they are buying is range and efficiency, not charge speed.

Where the charging specification does earn its place is the cooling system. The Sealion 06 uses direct refrigerant cooling on its pack; the Song Plus EV uses liquid cooling. Direct refrigerant cooling pulls heat out of the cells more aggressively, which is what allows the higher sustained charge rate and what protects the pack under repeated fast charging in heat. For a fleet operator in a hot lowland region who will eventually have DC charging available, this is the specification that will still matter in five years.

Space, and where the extra length goes

The Sealion 06 is only 25 mm longer overall than the Song Plus EV, but it is a class above — mid-size against compact — and the packaging shows it:

• 2820 mm wheelbase against 2765 mm. 55 mm more between the axles is rear legroom.
• 757 L of boot against 574 L. This is the single biggest practical gap in the table: 183 litres, which is a full extra suitcase or a week of stock for a small trader.
• 1920 mm wide against 1890 mm, which is three-abreast comfort in the back.

The Song Plus EV gets something back on weight — 1920 kg for the 520 km version against 2040 kg for the base Sealion 06 — but its long-range 605 km version weighs 2050 kg, so at matched range the difference narrows to almost nothing.

The torque reversal, explained

One row in the table looks wrong and is not: the Song Plus EV produces more torque (310–330 N·m) than the Sealion 06 (305 N·m), despite having barely 60% of its power.

Power is torque multiplied by speed. The Song Plus EV’s motor makes its torque at lower revolutions and runs out earlier — hence the 175 km/h ceiling. The Sealion 06’s motor holds output much further up the range, which is where 240–270 kW and 210 km/h come from.

Practically: the two cars feel similar pulling away from rest, and completely different above about 80 km/h. For urban Addis Ababa use the difference is smaller than the specification sheet suggests. For intercity driving it is not.

The naming problem — read this before you order

Do not order either of these cars by name.

BYD’s export naming for this pair overlaps in a way that has caused real ordering errors. The Song Plus is sold in Europe as the BYD Seal U, and its plug-in hybrid version has been launched in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand as the BYD Sealion 6. The Sealion 06 is a different vehicle on a different platform with a name one character away from it.

Published sources disagree about what the Sealion 06 is or will be called in each export market, and we are not going to print a naming table we cannot stand behind. What we will do is tell you how to avoid the problem entirely:

Order by VIN, exterior dimensions and battery capacity in kWh — not by model name. Those three things identify a vehicle unambiguously in any market. A 4810 mm car with a 69.07 kWh pack is the Sealion 06 EV regardless of what the badge or the brochure says.

This is the general failure mode we documented in Chinese model names versus export names, and it is worse in BYD’s Ocean series than almost anywhere else in the Chinese industry. It is also why our quotes carry specifications rather than just names.

Which one for which customer

Sealion 06 EV fits:

• Customers who want maximum range — 710 km has no equivalent here
• Anyone modelling running cost: 12.7 kWh/100 km against 14.1 is a permanent advantage
• Buyers needing boot space — 757 L against 574 L is the biggest practical gap between them
• Mainly sealed-road use, where rear-wheel drive and 240–270 kW are assets
• Fleets that will eventually install DC charging and want the pack cooling to support it

Song Plus EV fits:

• Customers driving regularly on loose or unsurfaced roads, where front drive is more forgiving
• Buyers who want the model with an established export history and a longer parts trail
• Lower landed cost at the entry point — the 520 km version is the cheaper way into this class
• Mixed driver pools, where a less powerful and more predictable car is the safer fleet choice

Ordering and shipping notes

Warranty is territorial. Both carry 6 years / 150,000 km in China. That coverage is administered through authorised networks and does not follow the vehicle to Ethiopia by default. Tell the customer what is actually enforceable where they will drive, and by whom.

LFP on both. Lithium iron phosphate tolerates heat and routine full charging well, and handles the long dwell time between leaving the yard and inland delivery from the destination port. Ethiopia’s route runs through Djibouti and the Addis Ababa–Djibouti corridor by rail or road — a single corridor, so plan the timeline around it.

State of charge in transit. Both ship under IMDG handling rules and carrier charge limits, and will arrive well below full. Confirm the figure with your forwarder so the customer is not surprised.

Container maths. At around 4800 mm and two tonnes these are mid-size vehicles and load accordingly — see how many cars fit in a container before pricing freight per unit.

Document the actual unit before it ships — VIN, battery capacity, motor output, drive layout, tyre size. Our condition report format covers what belongs in that record, and the import traps checklist covers what goes wrong without it.

Send us the use case, not just the model. Daily distance, road surface, charging access and passenger load determine which of these two is right — put them on an enquiry and we will spec it against current stock.

Verify your counterparty. Specification drift between quote and container is an intermediary problem: how the China export chain actually works and what to check before payment.

Alternatives from stock

One class down, the Yuan UP and Yuan Plus cover the same use cases at lower landed cost. For pure city duty at the entry point, the Seagull and Wuling Bingo are where to start. For carrying goods or passengers commercially, the electric vans are the right category — including a 9-seat version. Our wider shortlist is in the 2026 export survey, and first-time importers should read the dealer’s import guide first.

Exporting either one to Ethiopia

Ethiopia banned new petrol and diesel private-vehicle imports on 29 January 2024. Electric and hybrid vehicles are exempt and carry 15% customs duty with VAT, excise tax and surtax waived, so an EV or hybrid is the only realistic way into this market now. Both vehicles on this page are left-hand drive, which Ethiopia requires, and seat fewer than 10 passengers, which the provisions cover.

Everything routes through Djibouti. Ethiopia is landlocked and over 90% of its trade moves through the Port of Djibouti, then inland by the Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway or by road. There is no alternative corridor, so plan the timeline around it.

One caveat worth raising with the customer: public charging is thin — roughly 100 stations against an estimated 2,300+ needed nationwide, concentrated in Addis Ababa. Most owners will charge on AC at home or business premises. That favours a buyer with their own charging point over one relying on public infrastructure.

CIF Djibouti is available for Ethiopia. Tell us the model and quantity and we will quote CIF to Djibouti, so you compare one delivered number instead of assembling freight, insurance and handling yourself. EXW, FCA and FOB remain available if you prefer to control the shipping leg.

👉 Ask for current EV and hybrid stock plus a CIF Djibouti landed-cost quote. Talk to us · Ethiopia import rules in full →

FAQ

Which has more range, the Sealion 06 EV or the Song Plus EV?

The Sealion 06 EV. It is offered at 605 km and 710 km CLTC; the Song Plus EV is offered at 520 km and 605 km. At the shared 605 km figure the Sealion 06 uses a 69.07 kWh battery against 87.04 kWh.

Why does the Sealion 06 need a smaller battery for the same range?

It is more efficient — 12.7 kWh/100 km against 14.1 on the published figures. That is a platform-generation difference, and it also means lower electricity cost per kilometre and less battery mass to carry on gradients.

Is the Sealion 06 EV rear-wheel drive?

Yes. The Sealion 06 EV is rear-wheel drive; the Song Plus EV is front-wheel drive. Rear drive suits performance and sealed roads; front drive is more forgiving on loose or wet surfaces.

How fast do they charge?

The Sealion 06 EV takes 237 kW and reaches 30–80% in about 18 minutes. The Song Plus EV takes 90 kW on the 520 km version and 140 kW on the 605 km version, taking roughly 28–30 minutes. In Ethiopia both will mostly be charged overnight on AC, since public DC charging is limited to roughly 100 stations nationwide.

Which has the bigger boot?

The Sealion 06 EV, at 757 L against 574 L — a gap of 183 litres.

Are these the same car as the BYD Seal U or the Sealion 6?

No, and this is where ordering errors happen. The Song Plus is sold in Europe as the Seal U, and its plug-in hybrid version launched in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand as the Sealion 6 — a name one character from the Sealion 06, which is a different vehicle. Order by VIN, dimensions and battery capacity in kWh, never by model name alone.

Do both qualify for Ethiopia’s EV tax treatment?

Yes. Both are battery-electric, left-hand drive and seat five, so both attract 15% customs duty with VAT, excise tax and surtax waived.

Does altitude affect either car?

No. Electric motors draw from the battery rather than the atmosphere, so neither loses output at Addis Ababa’s roughly 2,355 m — unlike a naturally aspirated petrol engine. Both lose range on sustained climbs, because hill climbing consumes more energy.

Which is better for a ride-hailing fleet?

The Sealion 06 EV on running cost, range and boot space. The Song Plus EV if the fleet operates on unsurfaced roads with a mixed driver pool, where front-wheel drive and a less powerful motor are the safer combination.

What should I specify on the purchase order?

VIN, exterior dimensions, battery capacity in kWh, motor output in kW, drive layout and CLTC range figure. Model name alone does not identify either of these vehicles reliably across export markets.