BYD Group presented with two prizes at News UK Motor Awards 2026

01 October 2026   BYD Group scooped two awards at the prestigious News UK Motor Awards 2026, with the SEAL 6 DM-i named the Best Hybrid, and the company’s FLASH Charging receiving the Tech Innovation of the Year prize.

Now in its ninth year, the News UK Motor Awards brings together both the collective editorial expertise and audience motoring enthusiasm of The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun. The Motor Awards are judged by industry-respected automotive journalists from across News UK’s titles and champions the best-in-class across all motor segments.  

The SEAL 6 DM-i Touring triumphed after striking a chord with the judges thanks to a driving experience which delivers the refinement of a fully electric vehicle yet delivers the flexibility to cover over 900 miles with a full charge and a full tank of fuel.

Speaking of the SEAL 6 DM-i Touring’s prize, Rob Gill, Sun Motors Editor, said, "When judging the category, we looked at full hybrids and plug-in hybrids that offered maximum efficiency and convenience, and were particularly impressed by the BYD Seal 6 UM-i's incredible 800 mile range. This is a car that you can plug in during the week and run about entirely on electric power then drive to the south of France for a holiday without worrying about flaky charging stations. And it can do that while being comfortable and, because it’s an estate, extremely practical"

FLASH Charging stood out above the other contenders for the Tech Innovation of the Year, with industry leading speeds and intuitive design set to revolutionise public EV charging. "If charging speed is the new luxury, everyone else might as well pack up and go home,” said Rob Gill. “This T-shaped Flash charger is 1,500kW and can add 260 miles in just five minutes. A full charge takes nine. That's proper innovation."

On accepting the prizes, Steve Beattie, Deputy Country Manager for BYD UK, said, “I’d like to thank all the judges at News UK for recognising BYD with these awards. We’re so excited to bring FLASH Charging to the UK, as it’s going to be a game-changing technology for electrified car drivers. It’ll mean our Group products like the DENZA Z9 GT, which will be the first car in the UK to benefit from megawatt charging speeds, can top up its battery as quickly as it takes to fill a tank of petrol.”

“I’m also incredibly proud to accept the award for the SEAL 6 DM-i. BYD has a growing range of plug-in hybrid powertrains to complement our fully electric family, and the Super Hybrid technology in our first estate car in this country makes it a spacious, practical family car with a huge real-world range.”