- Yangwang U7 will be the first model to use new Blade Battery technology
- The company says the Blade 2.0 can deliver more than 625 miles on a single charge
- BYD is working on high-performance electric cars that also boast a huge range
Not content with being a global leader in electric car sales, Chinese carmaker BYD is set to reveal all about the next generation of its battery and charging systems at a “Disruptive Technology” event, itself to be held in China this week.
Tidbits are already being released by the company on social media, including the fact that the Yangwang U7 will be the first high-performance EV from the BYD stable to receive the second generation of its advanced Blade Battery technology.
The company says the high-powered, four-motor electric car will be able to return a maximum range of 1,006 km (625 miles) on a single charge, according to China’s CTLC testing standard (via Car News China).
When adjusted for the more stringent WLTP cycle in Europe and North America’s EPA rating, those numbers still hover around 559 miles and 450 miles, respectively — easily making it the longest-range EV on sale.
In addition to the Yangwang U7, BYD plans to introduce the Blade Battery 2.0 in a number of Denza models, as well as the BYD Seal 07, Sealion 06 and a recently announced Great Tang 7-seat SUV (see image below), which has the likes of Kia, Hyundai and Volvo prominently featured in its SUV.
Even in the huge luxury crossover, the Chinese automaker claims its upcoming battery technology will be able to deliver 590 miles on the CTLC test standard, which is over 200 miles more than, say, the Kia EV9.
Not content with simply producing extremely energy-dense EV batteries, BYD has also been working on its megawatt ‘Flash Charging’ network, which is capable of delivering up to 1,500 kW of electricity to compatible EV batteries.
It released a number of charge times of 10-70% for models set to receive its Blade Battery 2.0 technology, with the Yangwang U7 reportedly taking just four minutes and 54 seconds to reach the aforementioned state of charge.
Finding a charging outlet in Europe and the US that only provides 350kW is hard enough, but BYD says it will roll out 20,000 of its innovative gas station-style Flash Charging bays in China this year.
Analysis: It’s all in the chemistry
What is most relevant here is not the fact that BYD, together with the Chinese battery manufacturing giant CATL, has managed to improve the energy density, charging speed and lifetime of their EV battery packs. It’s that they’ve done it using a lithium iron phosphate battery chemistry.
Where rivals have explored more expensive nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathodes or await the arrival of mass-produced all-solid-state batteries, BYD has gradually improved its relatively inexpensive LFP technology to match the stats of more expensive alternatives.
Judging by the progress, there’s likely even more room for improvement here, which could open the door to the Blade Battery 2.0 technology eventually filtering down into the more affordable mass-market BYD models, both in China and further afield.
Right now, the BYD Seal can go up to 345 miles on a single charge in the UK, according to WLTP tests. But the second-generation battery could see those numbers rise to over 400 miles, if not more.
On top of this, future owners will also be able to make use of ultra-fast charging, which brings EV charging sessions more in line with fuel stops.
If the infrastructure can be put in place, we will start to see customer attitudes towards electrification change dramatically.
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