BYD Sealion 7 cost to own in New Zealand — the true 5-year total
The BYD Sealion 7 starts at $69,990. Over 5 years, owning one (EV) costs about $75,857 in New Zealand as of July 9, 2026 — $1,264/month, $1.08/km — including depreciation, charging (with the ~12% charging loss most calculators ignore), maintenance, insurance, financing and rego + road-user charges. That's $20,048 more than a comparable Toyota RAV4 Hybrid GXL AWD over the same 5 years.
BYD Sealion 7 incentives & grants
No EV purchase rebate in NZ (the Clean Car Discount ended Dec 2023), and EVs now pay Road User Charges (~NZ$76/1,000 km). Both are reflected honestly — the RUC is included in the totals above. Source: NZTA.
BYD Sealion 7 · NZ · 5-year estimate$75,857 total · $1,264/mo · $1.08/km
Where the money goes
| Cost component | Electric · BYD Sealion 7 | Hybrid · Toyota RAV4 Hybrid GXL |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation (estimated) | $40,594 (54%) | $23,936 (43%) |
| Charging / fuel | $7,172 (9%) | $10,603 (19%) |
| ↳ of which charging loss | 12% (~$861) | — |
| Maintenance | $2,247 (3%) | $3,752 (7%) |
| Insurance | $7,000 (9%) | $6,500 (12%) |
| Financing interest | $12,599 (17%) | $10,154 (18%) |
| Registration & fees | $6,245 (8%) | $865 (2%) |
| Total cost of ownership | $75,857 | $55,809 |
BYD Sealion 7 specs & assumptions
- Starting price
- $69,990manufacturer
- Powertrain
- Electric
- Efficiency
- 20.4 kWh/100kmWLTP/EECA
- Range
- 482 kmWLTP/EECA
- NZ electricity
- 34.00c/kWhEA / MBIE
- Annual km (assumed)
- 14,000NZ average
Compare the BYD Sealion 7 against any car, your km & your scenario
What the numbers say
The BYD Sealion 7 costs about $75,857 to own over 5 years in New Zealand — $1,264/month, $1.08/km at 14,000 km/yr — and depreciation is the biggest line: $40,594, 54% of the total (as of July 9, 2026).
- The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid GXL AWD wins decisively here — $20,048 cheaper over 5 years; at typical assumptions this isn't a close call.
- No realistic annual distance flips this verdict — the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid GXL AWD stays the cheaper car at every distance we model.
- On cost per month the BYD Sealion 7 ranks #12 of 18 midsize SUV models we track in NZ.
- Where the BYD Sealion 7's $75,857 actually goes: depreciation $40,594 (54%), financing interest $12,599 (17%), charging $7,172 (9%), insurance $7,000 (9%), registration & fees $6,245 (8%), maintenance $2,247 (3%).
- Per km, that is $0.58 of depreciation and $0.10 of charging, with $0.40 for everything else — $1.08/km all-in.
- Charging vs the fleet: the BYD Sealion 7's 5-year charging bill ($7,172) runs $1,722 above the $5,450 median of the 23 EVs we price at the same rates.
What we assume for maintenance
Assumed $449/yr for an EV at 14,000 km/yr — about $2,247 of the 5-year total above. On this market's assumptions an EV runs about $451/yr less in maintenance than a petrol car ($449 vs $900). See the methodology for sources; adjustable in the calculator.
Cost to charge the BYD Sealion 7 at home
The BYD Sealion 7 runs about $7.88 per 100 km at home — versus about $20.79 for a typical 7 L/100km petrol car. Home charging only (the ~12% AC charging loss is included); public DC fast-charging is billed per session by each network — often 2–3× the home rate — and isn't in these figures.
- Per 100 km at home
- $7.8820.4 kWh/100km + 12% charging loss × $0.34/kWh
- A typical 7 L/100km petrol car
- $20.79/100kmat $2.97/L — for comparison