A common concern surrounding electric vehicles is that they might not have the range for out-of-town trips—hence the term “range anxiety.” To address this, BYD Cars Philippines launched the Sealion 6, which can travel as far as 1,100km—the most among the EV brand’s models. To put this to the test, we took the crossover on a round trip to Ilocos.

To better understand the model, we need to define what it is and isn’t. While BYD is known for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), the Sealion 6 is not exactly one of them. Rather, it is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine (also known as a range extender). It is also a plug-in hybrid (or PHEV) because there is a charging port for the battery.

The idea behind the Super DM-i powertrain is that the Sealion 6 is primarily operated like a BEV. The 18.3kWh Blade Battery has a range of up to 105km, which is more than enough for city driving. But should you need to go farther, the range extender kicks in.

As a generator, it supplies energy to keep the 194hp motor running. And when you need full power—such as when overtaking on the expressway—the engine and the motor have a combined maximum output of 214hp.

The battery can be topped up at home with a Type 2 charger. And the car also has regenerative braking, which allows some energy to be recovered when coasting or slowing down.

A switch on the center console allows the vehicle to toggle between two modes. EV mode minimizes the use of the range extender. On the other hand, HEV mode is for when you want to preserve battery life.

This can be handy when charging opportunities are limited. The State of Charge (SOC) setting can let you manually dictate at what point the range extender activates to keep the battery life above a certain percentage.

The 12.3-inch instrument cluster displays a diagram to illustrate the energy consumption of the vehicle. Instead of a tachometer, there is a power gauge in kilowatts, with a negative number shown during regenerative braking.

The media drive began at Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and we covered more than 400km traveling to Vigan in Ilocos Sur. From there, a day trip to Paoay in Ilocos Norte added roughly 130km to the mileage.

Upon returning to Metro Manila, the trip meter clocked in at 999.2km with 54.3L of fuel consumed—for a fuel efficiency of 18.4km/L. Take note that your mileage may vary as there was one vehicle in the convoy that had to refuel toward the end.

Looking beyond the powertrain, the Sealion 6 has a comfortable and spacious interior, loaded with creature comforts and tech. All seats are upholstered in leather with the front ones having power adjustment and ventilation.

The infotainment system has a huge 15.6-inch screen that rotates in traditional BYD fashion. With wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, you can play music on the 10-speaker Infinity audio system.

The 552L cargo space was enough for four people with luggage for a three-day trip. Also, there’s no shortage of cupholders and charging ports for both rows.

At P1,548,000, the Sealion 6 is attractively priced especially with its premium features. However, BYD vehicles are essentially smart devices on four wheels. So, there’s no escaping the rotating infotainment system and the software overload.

The advantage of BYD’s Super DM-i technology is that it makes the EV experience more accessible. Since the vehicle is not tied down to a single energy source, there’s no room for range anxiety.

Charge it regularly and you won’t need to refuel for city driving. But should you want to go out of town, the hybrid powertrain will help you eke out extra mileage.