- The Yangwang U7 will be the first model to use the new Blade Battery technology
- The company says the Blade 2.0 can travel more than 625 miles on a single charge
- BYD is working on high-performance electric vehicles that also have enormous range
Not content with being the world leader in electric vehicle sales, Chinese car manufacturing giant BYD will reveal all about the next generation of its batteries and charging systems at a “Disruptive Technology” event that will even be held in China this week.
The company is already releasing information on social media, including the fact that the Yangwang U7 will be BYD’s first high-performance electric vehicle to receive the second generation of its advanced Blade Battery technology.
The company says the high-power electric vehicle with four motors will be capable of a maximum range of 1,006 km (625 miles) on a single charge, according to China’s CTLC test standard (via Car News China).
When adjusted to the strictest WLTP cycle in Europe and North America’s EPA rating, those numbers still hover around 559 miles and 450 miles respectively, making it easily the longest-range electric vehicle on sale.
In addition to the Yangwang U7, BYD plans to introduce Blade Battery 2.0 in several Denza models, as well as the BYD Seal 07, Sealion 06, and a recently announced Great Tang seven-seat SUV (see image below), which has Kia, Hyundai, and Volvo clearly in its sights.
Even in that massive luxury crossover, the Chinese automaker claims its upcoming battery technology will be capable of 590 miles based on the CTLC test standard, which is more than 200 miles longer than the Kia EV9, for example.
Not content with simply producing energy-dense EV batteries, BYD has also been working on its megawatt ‘Flash Charging’ network, which is capable of supplying up to 1,500 kW of electricity to compatible EV batteries.
It posted a number of charging times from 10 to 70% for the models that will receive its Blade Battery 2.0 technology, and the Yangwang U7 reportedly took just four minutes and 54 seconds to reach the aforementioned state of charge.
Finding a charging point in Europe and the US that provides just 350 kW is difficult enough, but BYD says it will roll out 20,000 of its innovative gas station-style Flash charging stations in China this year.
Analysis: it’s all in the chemistry
The most pertinent point here is not the fact that BYD, together with Chinese battery manufacturing giant CATL, have managed to improve the energy density, charging rates and longevity of their electric vehicle battery packs. They have done it using the chemistry of a lithium iron phosphate battery.
While rivals have been exploring more expensive nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cathodes or awaiting the arrival of mass-produced solid-state batteries, BYD has been gradually improving its relatively cheap LFP technology to match the statistics of more expensive alternatives.
Judging by the progress, there’s likely even more room for improvement here, which could open the door for Blade Battery 2.0 technology to eventually trickle into more affordable, mass-market BYD models, both in China and elsewhere.
Right now, the BYD Seal can go up to 345 miles on a single charge in the UK, according to WLTP testing. But the second-generation battery could push those numbers to over 400 miles, if not longer.
In addition to this, future owners will also be able to make use of ultra-fast charging, which brings electric vehicle charging sessions closer to refueling stops.
If the infrastructure can be implemented, we will begin to see customer attitudes towards electrification change dramatically.
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