BYD Sealion 6What does it cost to run, and is an EV cheaper?
Plugged in at home each night and driving 250 km a week, the BYD Sealion 6 Essential would do about 85% of its driving on electricity, costing about $20.70 a week in power and petrol in NSW. Never plug it in and it's a 5.5 L/100 km petrol SUV (our estimate), about $32.84 a week. Over 5 years it costs about $55,872 to own, and 12 of the 39 EVs we track work out cheaper.
What would it cost you to run?
Fine-tune the numbers
BYD Sealion 6 running costs by state
BYD Sealion 6 Essential, 250 km a week. Plugged in, about 85% of driving is on home electricity at each state's 2026–27 default rate; the rest uses petrol at this week's capital-city average.
| State | Full charge | Per week, plugged in | Per week, never plugged in |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $6.20 | $20.70 | $32.84 |
| Victoria | $5.20 | $18.09 | $32.48 |
| Queensland | $5.12 | $17.93 | $32.64 |
| South Australia | $7.67 | $24.31 | $32.08 |
| WA | $6.09 | $20.35 | $32.34 |
| Tasmania | $4.54 | $16.61 | $33.80 |
| ACT | $6.77 | $22.30 | $33.87 |
| NT | $5.51 | $19.06 | $33.70 |
Price, battery and range
Electric range is the maker's claim on the test cycle shown. *Petrol use with a flat battery is our estimate from reviews; the makers only publish a figure that assumes a full battery.
| Variant | Price | Battery | Electric range | Full charge, power point | Petrol use, flat battery* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $42,990 + on-roads | 18.3 kWh | 92 km (NEDC) | 8 hours | 5.5 L/100 km |
| Dynamic Extended | $46,990 + on-roads | 26.6 kWh | 140 km (NEDC) | 11 hours | 5.5 L/100 km |
| Premium AWD | $52,990 + on-roads | 18.3 kWh | 81 km (NEDC) | 8 hours | 6.2 L/100 km |
What a BYD Sealion 6 costs to own over 5 years
250 km a week in NSW, plugged in at home most nights. No wallbox needed. Scheduled service every 12 months or 20,000 km, about $414 a visit. Warranty: 6 yrs / 150,000 km (battery 8 yrs).
| Variant | On the road* | Power + petrol / yr | Servicing / yr | Tyres / yr | 5-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $46,990 | $1,076 | $414 | $286 | $55,872 |
| Dynamic Extended | $50,990 | $1,039 | $414 | $286 | $59,685 |
| Premium AWD | $56,990 | $1,221 | $414 | $286 | $66,597 |
Cost to own = price (plus about $4,000 on-road costs where the price is before on-roads) + a home wallbox for EVs (about $2,000, one-off) + charging or fuel + scheduled servicing + tyres. It leaves out insurance, registration and resale value, which vary too much by person and car to estimate fairly. Resale value is the biggest unknown, especially for newer brands.
The BYD Sealion 6 against EVs
The eight EVs with the lowest 5-year cost to own, against the BYD Sealion 6 Essential at $55,872. Green means the EV works out cheaper. EV totals include a home charger.
| EV | Charging / week | 5-year total | vs this plug-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYDAtto 1 Essential | $14.54 | $37,424 | −$18,448 |
| GeelyEX2 Complete | $14.91 | $39,802 | −$16,071 |
| MGMG4 Urban 43 | $15.47 | $42,753 | −$13,119 |
| BYDDolphin Essential | $14.91 | $43,522 | −$12,351 |
| GACAion UT Premium | $15.38 | $45,439 | −$10,434 |
| JaecooJ5 EV Track | $13.41 | $45,593 | −$10,279 |
| BYDAtto 2 Dynamic | $16.04 | $46,031 | −$9,841 |
| CheryE5 Ultimate | $14.54 | $50,886 | −$4,987 |
Head-to-head with its closest electric rivals
Common questions
How much is a BYD Sealion 6 in Australia?
The BYD Sealion 6 starts from $42,990 + on-roads (October 2026). Prices change often, so check with a dealer.
How far can a BYD Sealion 6 go on electricity?
The claimed electric range is up to 140 km. Expect roughly 80% of that in real driving, which still covers most people's daily trips. After that it runs as a petrol hybrid.
Do I need a home charger for a BYD Sealion 6?
No. Its 18.3 kWh battery refills from a normal power point in about 8 hours, so overnight is plenty. That saves the $2,000 or so a wallbox costs.
What if I don't plug the BYD Sealion 6 in?
Then it's a petrol car using about 5.5 L/100 km (our estimate), or about $32.84 a week for 250 km in NSW. A plug-in hybrid only saves money if you charge it.
Is a BYD Sealion 6 cheaper to own than an EV?
Counting price, running costs, servicing and tyres over 5 years, 12 of the 39 EVs we track cost less to own, led by the BYD Atto 1.
Other plug-in hybrids
How we work it out
Weekly cost is the car's claimed energy use (kWh per 100 km) × your distance × your electricity price. "Per week" figures on this site assume 250 km a week with 90% of charging at home. Petrol comparisons use the fuel use and price you choose. Prices are list prices at October 2026 and change often; check with the dealer.
- Electricity: 2026–27 default or regulated flat rates from the AER Default Market Offer (NSW, SE QLD, SA), Victorian Default Offer, Aurora Energy (TAS), Jacana Energy (NT), Synergy (WA) and ActewAGL (ACT).
- Public charging: Sydney survey of Chargefox, Evie, NRMA, Tesla and BP Pulse prices, July 2026.
- Car specs and prices: manufacturer figures as published by CarExpert, AEVA EV fact sheets, Drive and EV Central's car guide. Some prices are the publisher's estimates; check with a dealer.
- Servicing: published capped-price schedules (BYD Sealion 7, BYD Seal, Geely EX5, Jaecoo J5 EV, Kia EV5, Zeekr 7X). Tesla has no fixed service schedule and CarExpert's EV servicing comparison. Where a model's pricing isn't published yet we use the brand's nearest model and mark it as an estimate.
- Tyres: RACV puts EV tyre life at 20,000–40,000 km; replacement set prices from Gridly's 2026 EV tyre cost guide.
- Petrol: ACCC average retail unleaded prices in each capital city, week to 21 October 2026 (ACCC weekly fuel price monitoring).
- Plug-in hybrids: prices, battery sizes and claimed electric range from CarExpert, Cars24, Zecar and The Beep. Real-world electric range is taken as 80% of the claim; plug-ins charged at home each night are assumed to do up to 85% of driving on electricity. Petrol use with a flat battery is our estimate from reviews where makers don't publish one.
- Hybrids: claimed fuel use, prices and capped-price servicing as published by CarExpert and CarsGuide. Petrol and hybrid tyres usually last 40,000–60,000 km (RACV); we use 50,000 km.
- Home chargers: typically $1,000–$3,000 installed, about $2,000 typical (What's the Damage, October 2026).
- Novated lease rules: PwC summary of the May 2026 FBT changes.