BYD Seal owners could soon connect with Tesla V3 Superchargers with upgrades

It appears that a combination of hardware and software upgrades will enable drivers of BYD Seals to plug in and charge at Tesla V3 Supercharger stations.

The inability to charge at the V3 equipment has been frustrating for BYD drivers since much of the Tesla Supercharger network was opened to non-Tesla vehicles in September last year.

Last month, owners of newly delivered BYD Seal were starting to report that their vehicles were able to charge at Tesla’s V3 superchargers. These were on vehicles with March 2024 build dates and a newer firmware version.

Now, Christopher H, a BYD Seal owner has shared that he had been contacted by BYD with a fix on this issue, allowing his vehicle to charge at the Tesla V3 supercharger sites. This was first shared on Ludicrous Feed YouTube livestream.

According to Christopher, the fix is a combination of hardware and software upgrades which is to be undertaken via an appointment by BYD. 

To date, BYD has delivered over 2,800 electric BYD Seal sedans to local drivers, making it the second most popular model the brand sells in Australia. In 2024, the total sales in the first four months account for 2,384 new Seal sedans on local roads.

It was launched in October last year with pricing and specifications that wowed many EV enthusiasts. The headline pricing of the Seal was that the entry-level Dynamic variant was starting under $50,000. The local Seal lineup includes:

• Dynamic – $49,888 before on-roads
• Premium – $58,798 before on-roads
• Performance – $68,798 before on-roads

The Dynamic variant is equipped with a single-motor rear-wheel-drive powertrain that delivers 150 kW of power and up to 310 Nm of torque. This helps accelerate the car from 0-100 km/h in a respectable 7.5 seconds. 

The Dynamic variant can be fast-charged at up to 110 kW.  Meanwhile, the Premium and Performance variants can be fast-charged at up to 150 kW. Both variants make ideal cars for Tesla V3 or V4 superchargers which can deliver up to 250 kW at each stall.

The reliability of Tesla’s network is also improving as the network grows. According to the company, 2023 saw over 99.97% up-time.

It’s currently unclear if the BYD’s Atto 3 delivered so far will receive a fix too and when existing vehicle owners of the Seal are likely to be contacted by BYD.

For many BYD Seal drivers, the proposed update will allow them to charge at all available fast chargers, including at many of Tesla’s highly reliable supercharger locations around the country.