BYD’s Ocean Series naming system—based on “marine creatures + numbers”—will finally be complete.
Recently, a screenshot of an internal email from BYD was leaked by a netizen. The subject of the email read: “Domestic Future Arrangements for the Song PLUS: Production to Cease After Material Liquidation.”
Once the screenshot was released, news about the potential discontinuation of the BYD Song PLUS series quickly drew widespread attention.
In response to the recent rumors circulating in the new energy vehicle market that “the BYD Song PLUS is about to be discontinued,” a BYD insider told the media: “The Sealion 06 is the successor to the Song PLUS. Discontinuing the Song PLUS is part of a normal product transition.”
This also implies that the model, which has accumulated over 1.2 million units in sales and long dominated the domestic SUV market, will gradually fade out. Meanwhile, BYD’s Ocean Series naming system—based on “marine creatures + numbers”—will finally be complete.
Looking back at the model’s development history: In 2021, the Song PLUS DM-i was transferred from the Dynasty Series to the newly established Ocean Series, which at the time lacked a hit model. Thanks to BYD’s 4th-generation DM technology, the Song PLUS became the first and fastest Chinese new energy SUV to surpass one million units in sales within just three years.
Data shows that as of May this year, BYD’s Ocean Series has sold a cumulative 4.85 million units, jumping from 25th place in 2021 to 3rd place in 2024, trailing only Volkswagen and BYD’s own Dynasty Series. Among them, the Song PLUS alone has sold over 1.57 million units, accounting for nearly one-third of the Ocean Series’ total sales.
According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), in the first half of 2025, the BYD Song PLUS topped the list of China’s top 20 exported vehicle models, with 134,105 units sold.
As BYD’s Ocean Series matures, the positioning of the Song PLUS has gradually become ambiguous. On one hand, the Sealion 06 quickly surpassed 30,000 monthly sales after its launch, successfully taking over the family SUV market. On the other hand, the Dynasty Series introduced the Song L DM-i to fill the mid-size SUV gap, with cumulative sales reaching 156,200 units within six months of its launch—effectively replacing the original role of the Song PLUS.
As the technical successor to the Song PLUS, the Sealion 06 is equipped with BYD’s 5th-generation DM technology and the e-Platform 3.0 Evo. It offers a fuel consumption as low as 3.5L per 100km even when the battery is depleted, and a total range of up to 1,670km. With the advantage of “more value at the same price,” it fully inherits the family SUV market.
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