2025 BYD Atto 2

[Devilcup]

On 10/6/2026 at 3:13 PM, steveting99 said:

I couldn't dig up details (wanting to see the schematic diagram) on Seal 6 traction battery cooling system. However, based on the findings that the bottom end Atto 1 and higher end Seal / Sealion 6 DM-i are using the direct refrigerant cooling method, suspect it's the same for the Seal 6. 

According to air conditioning specialist and manufacturer (R&Y A/C compressors), the average lifetime of an air conditioning compressor is around 8 to 15 years.  The biggest killers of compressor life are:

• low refrigerant;
• a contaminated system;
• wrong oil type;
• moisture; and
• infrequent use.

Running the air conditioning briefly every week significantly extends compressor life.

Since BYD makes their own air conditioning compressors, the component would last for as long as the ride's warranty. In Singapore, BYD offers 6 years or 150,000 kms (which ever comes first) new car warranty. It's only after the warranty expires that one has to worry. I.e. get the air compressor and the refrigerant loops checked out during servicing with a sign off on a clean / healthy status. 

Data source: https://www.rycompressors.com/how-long-does-a-car-ac-compressor-last-lifespan-and-maintenance-tips/

interesting, i guess AC servicing is much more important in EV car no matter what. 

[steveting99]

BYD Indonesia has confirmed that the M6 DM-i (with 1.5L ICE engine and either the 7.4 kWhr or 18.3 kWhr battery pack) uses the direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery.

Head of Aftersales PT BYD Motor Indonesia, Ubaedillah says "We use a battery cooling system with refrigerant to exchange the battery heat so that its performance is more stable."

Just like the DM-i version, suspect the BEV version of the M6 with the larger battery pack uses the same direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery. So the list of BYD models so far using the direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery are :

• Atto 1;
• Atto 2 (suspected as it doesn't used indirect liquid cooling nor air cooling methods. Only option left is direct refrigerant);
• Dolphin;
• Seal;
• Sealion 6 DM-i;
• Sealion 7; and
• M6 DM-i (suspect the BEV version also).

The list continues to grow.

Data source: https://voi.id/en/otoinfo/588159 

 

Edited October 6 by steveting99
typo

[steveting99]

For the Atto 3, there's two conflicting articles on the method used for cooling the traction battery.

According to car garage auto service the cooling plate of the Atto 3 is liquid based. I.e. the indirect liquid cooling method with a pump and independent loop. Article is here: https://cargarageautoservice.ae/byd-atto-3-battery-cooling-issues-in-uae-heat/. These are for Atto 3's sold in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is a Left Hand Drive market (LHD).

But in another article for Right Hand Drive (RHD) market in India, it says the Atto 3's traction battery pack is cooled using the direct refrigerant method of the air conditioning loop here: https://ev.care/blog/byd-atto3-seal-ac-issues.

It doesn't make much sense that BYD would have two different methods to cool the traction battery for the same model (Atto 3) in different markets. Obviously one of these articles is wrong, just don't know which one. So the Atto 3 is a bit of an unknown at this stage until someone from BYD clarifies / confirms the cooling method on the traction battery. There's lots of Atto 3 on the roads of Singapore and around the world.  Maybe an existing Atto 3 owner can check the next time its due for a service with BYD.

 

[steveting99]

The mystery of Atto 3's method of cooling the traction battery has been solved with a teardown of a 60kWh blade battery pack carried out by Brendon_M in his YT video here:

At the 1':10" time mark Brendon states the Atto 3's cooling plate (located at the top of traction battery) has channels where the air conditioning refrigerant flows through. So BYD is once again employing the direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery. This time for the Right Hand Drive (RHD) model of the Atto 3 in Oz. The UAE car garage auto service article is wrong in saying the Atto 3 employs the indirect liquid cooling method at the traction battery.

The list of BYD models using the direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery continues to grow. The models so far are:

• Atto 1;
• Atto 2 (suspected as it doesn't used indirect liquid cooling nor air cooling methods. Only option left is direct refrigerant);
• Atto 3 (teardown of 60kWh blade battery pack by Brendon_M in his YT video);
• M6 DM-i (suspect the BEV version also);
• Dolphin;
• Seal;
• Sealion 6 DM-i;and
• Sealion 7.

Outstanding models in Singapore to be confirmed to use direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery are Seal 6, Seal 6 DM-i and Sealion 8 DM-i.

The odds of these outstanding models using indirect liquid method to cool the traction battery is low. While the odds of using direct refrigerant cooling the traction battery are high. So far 8 out of 11 BYD models sold in Singapore are using direct refrigerant cooling method.

Edited October 7 by steveting99
additional text

[Kookies]

On 10/7/2026 at 10:21 AM, steveting99 said:

The mystery of Atto 3's method of cooling the traction battery has been solved with a teardown of a 60kWh blade battery pack carried out by Brendon_M in his YT video here:

At the 1':10" time mark Brendon states the Atto 3's cooling plate (located at the top of traction battery) has channels where the air conditioning refrigerant flows through. So BYD is once again employing the direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery. This time for the Right Hand Drive (RHD) model of the Atto 3 in Oz. The UAE car garage auto service article is wrong in saying the Atto 3 employs the indirect liquid cooling method at the traction battery.

The list of BYD models using the direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery continues to grow. The models so far are:

• Atto 1;
• Atto 2 (suspected as it doesn't used indirect liquid cooling nor air cooling methods. Only option left is direct refrigerant);
• Atto 3 (teardown of 60kWh blade battery pack by Brendon_M in his YT video);
• M6 DM-i (suspect the BEV version also);
• Dolphin;
• Seal;
• Sealion 6 DM-i;and
• Sealion 7.

Outstanding models in Singapore to be confirmed to use direct refrigerant method to cool the traction battery are Seal 6, Seal 6 DM-i and Sealion 8 DM-i.

The odds of these outstanding models using indirect liquid method to cool the traction battery is low. While the odds of using direct refrigerant cooling the traction battery are high. So far 8 out of 11 BYD models sold in Singapore are using direct refrigerant cooling method.

What are the advantages of a separate cooling loop over the direct cooling method ?  Won't the former also be susceptible to blockage in the narrow channels of the cooling pack ?

[steveting99]

On 10/7/2026 at 10:32 AM, Kookies said:

What are the advantages of a separate cooling loop over the direct cooling method ?  Won't the former also be susceptible to blockage in the narrow channels of the cooling pack ?

For the traction battery that employs the indirect liquid cooling method, using a separate / independent loop with glycol + water mixture. It's relatively simple system that employs at least one heat exchanger (air to water) and most design use a second one (refrigerant to water) to cool the glycol + water liquid mixture. This set up has built in redundancy. By using liquid to circulate around, it provides a significant thermal buffer on the traction battery to absorb heat. I.e. it takes a lot of heat to raise the water temperature. The downside to this is the extra cost, weight and lower thermal efficacy of the independent liquid loop. Removing contaminants within the cooling loop is critical and carried out by flushing during the install or during regular maintenance. A good design implements a micron filter to catch debris with differential pressure to determine blockage within the loop. 

The use of direct refrigerant to cool the traction battery was a genius idea by BMW. Truly ge-kiang. The idea being the air conditioning refrigerant can be employed to cool the cabin as well as the traction battery by simply extending the loop. Double duty. Save on costs, weight and improve thermal efficacy in one go. The refrigerant channels on the cold plate are generally thinner, narrower and smaller than that required for liquid channels. Again saving on costs, weight and improving thermal efficacy. The downside is possible blockage with debris and reliance of one component to do all the work - the Air Conditioning (AC) compressor. This is the weakness of the design in using direct refrigerant method. Under normal environmental conditions (25 deg and 60% humidity) the load on the AC compressor is okay. But under stress and hot environments (such as sunny Singapore), the AC compressor has to work much harder - accelerating wear and tear. This will release debris into the refrigerant circuit, possibly causing blockages in the cooling channels. Blockages leads to poor heat transfer from the battery cells to the cooling plate and causing hot spots. The hot spots will force the Battery Management System (BMS) to throttle power output of the pack and cause the ride to go into limp mode. Hot spots also cause premature degradation of the battery cells - the most expensive component in an EV. Worst case scenario is If the AC compressor fails. This means no cooling of battery pack is possible. One is now stuck with a dead ride and needs to towed to the nearest BYD service center for repair. It can be time consuming and expensive - depending on the extent of damage. For BMW owners it's affectionately called the i3 black death. An unpredictable random event with a disastrous outcome. BMW could have mitigated the disastrous outcome somewhat by providing a micron filter with a differential pressure reading to detect debris across the cooling channels. Would think that BYD is providing this in their design. At least BYD makes the AC compressor in-house and would have a lot of experience in getting this component to be as ultra reliable as much as possible. I.e. make it bullet proof. Think BMW doesn't make the AC compressor and got it from either their Tier 1/2/3 supplier.

QA/QC is critical with the direct refrigerant cooling design.

Edited October 7 by steveting99
typo

[steveting99]

Though not available here in Singapore, BYD's Shark 6 PHEV utility vehicle has undergone a teardown by automotive specialists Munro & Associates. The Shark 6 PHEV is using the short blade version with a total 114 cells (split into two groups of 57 cells) to make a 30kWhr capacity pack. There's a separate teardown video on the traction battery below. 

Al Styer who carried out the Shark 6 PHEV traction battery teardown has confirmed the use of air conditioning refrigerant to cool the traction battery via the cold plate. Al points out the refrigerant manifold connection at the front of the pack at 2':30" time stamp.

The direct refrigerant cooling method of the traction battery looks to be a standard design by BYD for all their BEVs and PHEVs. The models so far are:

• Atto 1;
• Atto 2 (suspected as it doesn't used indirect liquid cooling nor air cooling methods. Only option left is direct refrigerant);
• Atto 3 (teardown of 60kWh blade battery pack by Brendon_M in his YT video);
• M6 DM-i (suspect the BEV version also);
• Dolphin;
• Seal;
• Sealion 6 DM-i; 
• Sealion 7; and
• Shark 6 PHEV (not available for sale in Singapore).

[Devilcup]

Not that techie.... but this article looks like they going change the way they cool the battery... 

 

https://carnewschina.com/2026/10/06/byd-puts-battery-cells-directly-in-cooling-liquid-in-new-patent/

 

 

[steveting99]

Found another teardown video of Atto 3's 60kWhr traction battery. This time in Left Hand Drive (LHD) market of Brazil where it's called the Yuan Plus (same name as in the mainland). The YouTube (YT) video is from Doug (he's a battery technician with over 10 years experience) at Epicentro Sound below.

At the 1':27" time stamp, Doug confirmed that the LHD Yuan Plus's (Atto 3) traction battery is using the air conditioning refrigerant to cool the pack.  Repeating what Brendon_M said in his YT video said for the Atto 3's battery pack teardown in the Right Hand Drive (RHD) market of Oz.

Doug says individual cells are glued together with a special material (green colored glue) into the pack. The cells are not possible to be individually serviced/repaired or replaced. So if any individual cell fails, the entire battery pack needs to be replaced. Can understand why insurance premiums on BEVs are higher than regular ICE. Insurers will simply jack up the price to insure BEVs because the most expensive part cannot be repaired when there's an accident. It needs a full replacement.    

Edited October 8 by steveting99
additional text

[Tkseah]

@steveting99 is this direct cooling thingy also used by other brands?

[steveting99]

On 10/8/2026 at 11:53 AM, Tkseah said:

@steveting99 is this direct cooling thingy also used by other brands?

Not that I'm aware of. So far only BYD and BMW (older and existing models) are implementing refrigerant cooling of the traction battery by extending the air conditioning loop. 

All other auto manufacturers are using the tried and true indirect liquid cooling of the traction battery. Had a look at battery teardown of Geely Galaxy E5 and E2 (twins of the Proton eMas 7 / 5 sold here and over the causeway) and both are using liquid cooling. Volvo (another Geely sub-brand) is also using indirect liquid cooling based on the battery teardowns of the XC90, XC40 and C40.

Tesla uses liquid cooling of the traction battery.

Even Xiaomi is using liquid cooling of their SU7.

Not sure if BMW's Neue Klasse based BEVs have retained the refrigerant cooling or switched over to liquid cooling with their new 4695 cylindrical cells.

 

 

[steveting99]

The 2nd generation Seagull (Atto 1) is now available for sale in the mainland starting in October 2026. The 2026 Seagull (2nd generation) is a step up and significant improvement over the 1st generation model that came out in 2023. The Seagull is an important model for BYD as 529,537 units were sold/produced in 2025 and is the No.1 model in terms of sales within BYD's inventory. The lion's share or 11.52% of BYD's 2025 sales came from one model - the Seagull, nothing else comes close. 

The 1st generation Atto 1 (also the 1st generation Seagull in the mainland) recently became available in Singapore. So Singapore is getting the outdated model already and a bit late to the party. In Europe the Seagull is called the Dolphin Surf, while Latin Americans calls it the Dolphin Mini. Other parts of the world (including Singapore) the Seagull is referred to as the Atto 1. Comparisons between the 1st and 2nd generation is made below.

There's a new design language for the 2nd generation Seagull. It's bigger, has more power, improvements as well as better features and thus more Value For Money (VFM) compared to the 1st generation. BYD was smart enough to keep the external door handle semi-hidden and be compliant with GB 48001-2026 and titled "Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles". Would be a shame if China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (中华人民共和国工业和信息化部 or MITI) had to issue a stop order to BYD due to non-compliance of an important safety standard. Sales would be adversely affected if this unfortunate event happened.

The 2nd generation Seagull's front end design has changed with new front bumpers and headlights (trident-style lights). The roof mounted LiDAR unit and DiPilot 300 is a mainland exclusive and wont be available for international versions. What's more impressive is that the 2nd generation Segaull has grown in all dimensions.

Length : 4,205mm (+425mm longer than the 1st generation)

Width : 1,810mm (+95mm wider than the 1st generation)

Height : 1,570mm (+30mm taller than the 1st generation)

Wheelbase : 2,650mm (+150mm longer than the 1st generation)

Will see if the above increases filter out to international models. I.e. Dolphin Surf, Dolphin Mini and Atto 1. The 2nd generation Seagull is almost the same size as the BYD Dolphin hatchback, so there's a reference point to see what the future Atto 1 is going to be like.

The 2nd generation Seagull now has a front trunk! A +94L of additional storage capacity improvement over the 1st generation. Can hide durians in there without stinking up the ride. That's because the electric motor has moved from the front to the rear. Which means the old torsion beam setup has been upgraded to a multi-link setup to accommodate a Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) configuration.

There will be an improvement in the ride and handling characteristics of the 2nd generation Seagull. Turning radius remains small at 4.95m (same as 1st generation).

The RWD electric motor has increased in power to 95kW (+40kW more than the 1st generation) with 130Nm of torque (-5Nm less than the 1st generation, not sure why there is a decrease). Note that the 1st generation Atto 1 with the 43.2kWhr traction battery comes with a 115kW front motor and 220Nm of torque. It's just that in Singapore, Sime Darby / Vantage Auto decided to cheap out by providing the smaller 65kW front motor with 175Nm of torque. 💩

BYD claims the 2nd generation Seagull has a drag coefficient of 0.28 and it's still a hatchback in design. The 2nd generation Seagull now seats five people (+1 more person compared to the 1st generation). Might be asking why +1? Well, if you've sat in the back of a current 1st generation Atto 1, you'll know why with the tiny space between the two outer seats in the back. So don't believe Sime Darby / Vantage Auto's brochure that the 1st generation Atto 1 can comfortably accommodate 5 adults. 

The back of the 2nd generation Seagull has undergone some cosmetic changes as well. Looks more modern and solid compared to the 1st generation flimsy rear end design. Rear cargo capacity has increased to 380L (+72L more than the 1st generation) with rear seats up. With rear seats folded down, volume expands to 1,380L (+343L more than the 1st generation). 

An important feature in the 2nd generation Seagull and what's going to differentiate it from the rest of the competition is the support of BYD's 1,500kW flash charging. You heard that right, BYD is making their 2nd generation Blade Battery 2.0 available to Bread and Butter (B&B) rides, starting with their entry level vehicles such as the 2nd generation Seagull. Hopefully the international version of the Atto 1 will get this as well. It will take just five minutes to to to 70% or almost full (97%) in nine minutes with BYD's flash charging stations. No more range anxieties and good for those who live in apartments.

AC charging seems to be down grade to single phase at 7kW for the 2nd generation Seagull. Maybe that's just due to a mainland variant as the current 1st generation Atto 1 gets three phase AC charging at 11kW.

Flash charging is made possible because of BYD's Blade Battery 2.0 short blade cells. Battery pack capacities of either 30.1kWhr or 39.2kWhr (no change in capacities from 1st generation), offering CLTC rated ranges of 320 km (+15km more than 1st generation) and 420 km (+15km more than 1st generation). So not much difference in driving range. If the conversion from CLTC to WLTP is right at 0.82, the energy consumption is rated at 11 kWhr per 100 km (+4.6kWhr per 100km better than 1st generation, which is a significant improvement).  Will have to see if real world tests can match this figure.

Not sure of there's going to be an increase in the battery capacity for the 2nd generation Atto 1. Doubtful, as the 2nd generation Seagull in the mainland looks to be the same as the 1st generation. Currently the 1st generation Atto 1 has a battery capacity of 43.2kWhr. 

Cooling of the traction battery will remain the indirect refrigerant method. The initial trigger that started down the rabbit hole.   

Pricing for the 2nd generation Seagull in the mainland is cheaper than the 1st generation! Which means the OMV for the 2nd generation Atto 1 is going to be lower in the future.😀 

So the question comes down to: how long will Sime Darby / Vantage Auto continue to hold out on the 2nd generation Atto 2 and force Singaporeans to accept an older and inferior Atto 1? Keep an eye on when the 2nd generation Atto 1 in RHD version starts to become available in markets such as Thailand, UK, Oz, Malaysia, etc. 

Data sources : https://carnewschina.com/2026/10/20/byd-launches-all-new-seagull-in-china-the-brands-most-affordable-flash-charging-ev-under-10000-usd/, https://paultan.org/2026/10/21/new-byd-seagull-launched-in-china/ and https://cnevpost.com/2026/10/20/byd-launches-second-gen-seagull/.

Edited Thursday at 02:56 AM by steveting99
additional text and typo

[steveting99]

This is a follow up post on the 2nd generation Seagull, 2026 model year. This time looking at the interior. 

Compared to the 1st generation Seagull the inside has been redesigned. The dashboard features a larger central touchscreen of 15.6" (+5.6" bigger than the 1st generation). There's two vertical cup holders in the center console, the number of which is the same as the 1st generation model. 

Note that the traditional driver's instrument cluster is gone. The interior is minimalist with a new two-spoke steering wheel. Tesla has popularized the thief coming into your apartment and taking everything, expect leaving the TV and sofa for you to sit down and ponder at the idiot box. China EV & Battery Co. has copied this concept because it's going to save them money by reducing the overall Bill of Materials costs.

The indicating and drive selection stalks are located on the steering column, which is the same as the 1st generation model.

A single 50W wireless charging pad with A/C vents to help keep the mobile device cool. The design keeps some select physical buttons for ease of use. For those who like to toggle / flick switches and satisfy their OCD, BYD has you covered.

There's a reason why BYD gave such a large 15.6" screen. It's split into a 3/7 design. The side near to the driver acts as an instrument panel, showing information about the ride's speed, gear, range, energy consumption, driving modes, etc. A-la Tesla. The other side of the display is dedicated to other infotainment functions like navigation and music. This saved BYD some costs in not having to provide a driver's instrument cluster and thus lower the Bill of Materials costs. 

The front seats now come with three level heated (useless feature here in Singapore and deserves a $10k discount), three level ventilation (hooray!) as well as multi-mode massage for the driver! (Don't know how many levels yet) What was once considered premium features, have now trickled down to B&B rides! BYD is on the right side of the equation this time. Will Sime Darby and Vantage Auto be also on the right side of the equation? Lets see what they offer on the 2nd generation Atto 1.

Front seats can recline to almost zero gravity position. Driver's seat has 6-way power adjustments while the front passenger gets 4-way power adjustments. No change from existing 1st generation.

Another feature is is multi-color ambient lighting, now with 127-colours (+127 more than 1st generation).  

There now 5G connectivity (+1 better than the 1st generation).

There are two storage compartments under the Seagull's second row seats (+2 more than 1st generation). The rear passengers can enjoy an adjustable rear air vent (+1 more than 1st generation).

BYD’s magnetic “magic” buttons are also available for the car.

The rear bench has more space compared to the 1st generation Seagull. The piggy in the middle can breathe a little bit easier. 

For those who want to enjoy a couple lifestyle, the 2nd generation Seagull is an affordable option to consider. 

Data source: https://carnewschina.com/2026/10/20/byd-launches-all-new-seagull-in-china-the-brands-most-affordable-flash-charging-ev-under-10000-usd/ and https://paultan.org/2026/10/21/new-byd-seagull-launched-in-china/

Edited Thursday at 08:51 AM by steveting99
additional text and typo

[steveting99]

BYD's advertising their 2nd generation Seagull via Youtube is below.

Believe it's going to do well in terms of sales and put pressure on Geely's Xingyaun (E2/EX2 for international markets) in the hatchback segment. Will see how the sales numbers pan out for the remainder of 2026. The existing Proton eMas 5 is clearly inferior as its based on the older 1st generation platform from 2024. 

 

[kobayashiGT]

On 10/22/2026 at 10:23 PM, steveting99 said:

BYD's advertising their 2nd generation Seagull via Youtube is below.

Believe it's going to do well in terms of sales and put pressure on Geely's Xingyaun (E2/EX2 for international markets) in the hatchback segment. Will see how the sales numbers pan out for the remainder of 2026. The existing Proton eMas 5 is clearly inferior as its based on the older 1st generation platform from 2024. 

 

Aiyo. how can put the cute dog inside the boot! cannot lah! hahahah. 

[steveting99]

For those who want more physical controls to satisfy their OCD itch on twisting and twirling nobs, BYD is going to roll out their version of Xiaomi's smart button that has a magnetic attachment with 20 pre-programmed cabin functions. Examples are temperature adjustments, volume control, etc.

Picture of BYD's smart button is below.

Apparently the smart button will be compatible with the 2nd generation Seagull.

[Ake109]

On 10/23/2026 at 12:09 PM, steveting99 said:

For those who want more physical controls to satisfy their OCD itch on twisting and twirling nobs, BYD is going to roll out their version of Xiaomi's smart button that has a magnetic attachment with 20 pre-programmed cabin functions. Examples are temperature adjustments, volume control, etc.

Picture of BYD's smart button is below.

Apparently the smart button will be compatible with the 2nd generation Seagull.

'Smart' button... in the end its gonna be like the old BMW iDrive controller.

I prefer the Toyota way frankly.

[kobayashiGT]

On 10/23/2026 at 4:43 PM, Ake109 said:

'Smart' button... in the end its gonna be like the old BMW iDrive controller.

I prefer the Toyota way frankly.

aiyo. just install a stream controller lah. can do more stuff leh. Why only one knob. hahaha