DIRECT ANSWER
Make the decision from one identified vehicle.
Identify DM-i or EV first, inspect the installed inlet in a safe state, then document connection, locking, charging, release and post-session diagnostics. A matching plug shape cannot prove electrical or destination compatibility.
Translate the advertisement into a controlled vehicle description before comparing it. The badge is only a starting point; year, power system, factory configuration and importing country determine which specifications matter. Separate documents and measurements from sales language so no brochure feature is credited twice.
CONNECTED DECISIONS
Use the evidence in its wider route
- Confirm energy-system identity through the battery and charging guide.
- Carry moisture or repair evidence into the accident and water-exposure route.
- For an EV candidate, complete the EV charging-session assessment.
EVIDENCE FILE
Records that change the answer
Start with VIN-linked DM-i or EV configuration and link it to the VIN before accepting translated trim names or catalogue photographs. Add close inlet, label and drain photographs so condition or equipment claims can be checked against the actual car. The remaining records establish how the vehicle operates, how it has been treated and whether the proposed route is credible.
- VIN-linked DM-i or EV configuration
- close inlet, label and drain photographs
- cable rating and charger identity
- session messages and diagnostic record
- destination equipment and recovery plan
A record remains useful only for the vehicle and moment it describes. Preserve original files, note who supplied them and request a new inspection after a material repair or long custody gap. When another car is offered, discard conclusions that cannot be traced to its VIN.
DECISION TEST
Test the route, not the brochure
A candidate completes a short seller demonstration but the plug requires repeated reseating and the inlet cavity shows cleaned residue. Preserve the condition, test known-suitable equipment and inspect drainage and locking before accepting the session. A second candidate with lower peak power but stable connection may present the stronger ownership route.
Choose the candidate that survives the route test with the fewest unsupported assumptions. Where proof is incomplete, show the buyer the open question and the realistic downside rather than promoting a convenient best case.
Inspection scope should follow the decision. For this route, check record VIN, propulsion and inlet identity, then inspect terminals, seal, latch and drainage without energised probing. Continue with observe the complete lock, session and release cycle and record separate vehicle, cable, charger and network faults. Measurements, photographs, diagnostics and test conditions are more transferable than labels such as “excellent,” “full option” or “export ready.”
Risk boundary
Forcing an adapter, pulling against a locked connector or cleaning heat and corrosion evidence before inspection can damage hardware and erase the cause. Successful AC charging also does not prove every claimed DC route or local public-network access.
Disclosure makes a limitation discussable; vagueness makes it risky. Define how the issue affects safety, use, compliance, service or resale and who will resolve it. A deposit should not remove the buyer's ability to verify a decisive claim.
DESTINATION CONTROL
Carry the same facts through export
List the supplied cables, ratings, emergency release procedure and unresolved compatibility limits. Follow current carrier instructions for the exact powertrain and repeat inlet condition at handover and arrival.
Rehearse the export file while the seller still controls the car. Contract, invoice, inspection, customs description and shipping booking should name the same VIN and propulsion. Ask the destination adviser separately about registration and any technical changes required after arrival.
Use a dated worksheet and a single delivery boundary for comparisons. Keep quoted, estimated and conditional lines distinct. Recalculate when currency, vehicle, route, sailing or customs treatment changes rather than carrying an old total into a new transaction.
BUYER QUESTIONS
Questions to settle before payment
Can a matching connector prove compatibility?
No. Protocol, voltage, current, software and infrastructure must also match.
Does a successful short session prove the inlet is healthy?
No. Inspect condition and repeat the full lock, charge and release cycle.
What closes a water concern?
A safe qualified inspection, accepted repair and repeat session with clean diagnostics.
PRIMARY REFERENCES
Verify the current market version
BYD lists the current China-market vehicle through separate official Sealion 06 EV and Sealion 06 DM-i pages. Official pages describe the model family; the candidate still needs VIN-linked verification, and destination rules require separate confirmation.