- Updated Denza Z9 GT goes 644 miles on a single charge
- The hybrid version sees the battery capacity practically doubled
- BYD is looking to introduce the Denza to the UK and Europe this year
BYD’s premium Denza brand is already taking China by storm, with its D9 MPV (or minivan) achieving around 300,000 sales in less than three years, according to Car News China. And now it has produced an EV with the world’s longest range, at least according to Denza.
Taking the best technology from the wider BYD group and wrapping it in luxurious materials, the Denza sub-brand offers a range of models in China, including a mid-size SUV in the N7 and the sleek Denza Z9 and Z9 GT – a traditional luxury sedan and a sleek shooting brake/fastback station wagon that come in both pure electric and hybrid guises.
The Z9 GT has just received a refresh in the domestic market with a new electrified powertrain that is claimed to achieve a CLTC-certified range of 1,036 km (644 miles) on a single charge. CLTC stands for ‘China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle’ and is the country’s equivalent to WLTP (or Worldwide Harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure).
Denza says this is now the world’s longest-range electric car, with an improvement in battery performance of around 64% over its predecessor.
The company says the update brings the option of two fresh battery packs with 102 kWh and 122.5 kWh on offer, giving CLTC ranges of 820-1,036 km (or 509-644 miles) respectively, according to Car News China.
Even the plug-in hybrid version got a battery boost, with a new 63.82 kWh pack delivering an all-electric CLTC range of over 400 km (248 miles), almost double the current Denza Z9 GT PHEV’s 201 km (125 miles) and bettering some pure electric cars currently on sale.
If the massive ranges weren’t enough to whet the appetite, the Z9 GT has also been spied using BYD’s new flash charging infrastructure in China, which consists of 1,500kW charging outlets capable of topping up batteries in minutes.
Currently, the Denza Z9 is only available in China, but the company plans to release both the saloon and the fastback in the UK and Europe this year.
Analysis: Big numbers, bold claims
It’s worth noting that China’s Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle, or CLTC for short, is slightly more generous compared to the WLTP tests used across Europe and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) range assessment procedure used in the US.
Denza’s estimates of 644 miles will be absolute best case, and we all know that electric vehicle range drops dramatically depending on climate, weather and the way they are driven.
That said, even with a more realistic estimate, we can still assume that the Z9 GT and its recently refreshed sedan counterpart could return between 380-450 miles, depending on conditions. That’s still a hugely impressive number.
By comparison, the Mercedes-Benz EQS has an official WLTP range of 481 miles, but we know this will be much less in reality, while the recently revealed Volvo EX60 says it can do over 500 miles on the same test cycles.
Whether the Denza’s long range makes it a world-beater or not, the capacity and efficiency alone mean customers will be moving towards the kind of real-world range that makes electric cars highly competitive with internal combustion engine rivals.
To convert a sector of skeptics, automakers will have to prove that upcoming EVs require little or no compromise from the buyer … and that includes dispatching 400-odd miles in a single trip.
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