According to data compiled by China’s DongCheDi, the Chinese automotive market sold 167,877 units of the Tesla Model 3 between January and August 2023, while the BYD Seal sold 99,434 units within the same period.

The data suggests that the Chinese market clearly favours the Tesla Model 3 (which takes 7th place overall in the pure electric vehicle sales category) over the BYD Seal (taking 11th place), despite the Model 3 being more expensive on average.

In China, prices for the BYD Seal start from CNY 182,800 (around RM 120k) to CNY 279,800 (around RM 183k), while current prices for the Tesla Model 3 start from CNY 259,900 (around RM 170k) to CNY 295,900 (around RM 194k).

Closer to home, Tesla Malaysia is gearing up for the local debut of the Model 3 ‘Highland’ by this month in October. Prices for the Model 3 start from RM 189,000 for the Standard Range to RM 218,000 for the Long Range.

Also read: One of the first in the world - Tesla Model 3 Highland launching in Malaysia this month

The BYD Seal’s arrival in Malaysia is also imminent, as BYD SD Motors (the distributor of BYD cars in Malaysia) is planning for a Q4 2023 launch. Prices have yet to be announced, but based on our own estimates from the prices in Thailand, we're predicting a range between RM 181k to RM 224k.

Also read: Launching in Malaysia soon: BYD Seal, we predict its price range, from RM 181k?