As most manufacturers struggled to generate buyer interest in electric vehicles, one vehicle continually bucked that trend, the Tesla Model Y. It was a scenario that played out worldwide as the all-electric mid-size SUV became the world’s best-selling passenger car. But as stock levels dwindled a new challenger arose, the BYD Sealion 7 grabbing the title of Australia’s most popular EV. It was a short-lived situation, with the updated Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ wrestling its top spot back once the first shipment hit local shores. Nevertheless, if you’re considering a mid-size electric SUV, chances are you have these two on your shopping list, so let’s take a look at how they stack up against each other. Pricing The BYD Sealion 7 is the cheaper of the two, kicking off at $54,990 plus on-road costs (ORCs) for the single motor Premium, the dual-motor Performance costing $63,990 (+ORCs). Tesla has upped the price of the RWD to $58,900 (+ORCs) but reduced the price of the Long Range AWD slightly to $68,900 (+ORCs), but it’s important to note you need to add another $400 for Tesla’s order fees. For the purposes of this article we’ll concentrate on the much more popular single-motor variants, but in both cases the equipment levels of the dual-motor variants differ little, so you’re either buying more grunt in the case of the BYD, or more grunt and range in the case of the Tesla. The only BYD option is colour, white being standard while Atlantis Grey and Cosmos Black add $1500 and Shark Grey $2000. There’s a bit more choice in Tesla-land, with white once again standard, blue and grey another $2300 and silver and red $2600. Model Y buyers can also choose 20-inch wheels for $2400 and a white interior for $1500. BYD now offers a comprehensive vehicle warranty of six years or 150,000km, with eight years and 160,000km of coverage for the battery, but while Tesla matches the latter for the battery and drive unit, its vehicle warranty is only four years or 80,000km. Something to consider. The Model Y turns the tables when it comes to servicing, with just cabin filters every couple of years and the occasional brake fluid change required. In contrast, the BYD will set you back a bit over $300/year on average over the first five years with services due every 12 months or 20,000km. Dimensions Dimensionally the BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y are very similar, with a handful of centimetres (at most) separating them. The BYD has an extra 38mm in length and 40mm in wheelbase but is 57mm narrower than the Tesla, but it’s all somewhat academic as both offer plenty of interior space. The Model Y’s trump card is space efficiency. The Sealion 7 is by no means deficient, with 500 litres of luggage space in the boot and another 58 litres under the bonnet, but the Tesla smashes this with 822 litres in the rear – including a huge underfloor area – and another 116 litres in the front. BYD Sealion 7