- Updated Denza Z9 GT goes 644 miles on a single charge
- The hybrid version practically doubles the battery capacity
- BYD looks to introduce the Denza in the UK and Europe this year
BYD’s premium Denza brand is already taking China by storm, with its D9 MPV (or minivan) achieving some 300,000 sales in less than three years, according to Car News China. And now it has produced an electric vehicle with the longest range in the world, at least according to Denza.
Taking the best technology from the broader BYD group and wrapping it in luxurious materials, the Denza sub-brand offers a number of models in China, including a mid-size SUV in the N7 and the stylish Denza Z9 and Z9 GT – a traditional luxury saloon and a stylish shooting brake/fastback family car that comes in both pure electric and hybrid versions.
The Z9 GT just received an update in its home 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 Vehicle Test Cycle” and is the country’s equivalent of the WLTP (or Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure).
Denza says this is now the world’s longest-range electric vehicle, with an improvement in battery performance of around 64% over its predecessor.
The company says the update brings with it the option of two new battery packs, with 102kWh and 122.5kWh offered, providing a CLTC range of 820-1,036 km (or 509-644 miles) respectively, according to Car News China.
Even the plug-in hybrid version has received a battery boost, with a new 63.82 kWh pack offering an all-electric CLTC range of more than 400 km (248 miles), almost double the current Denza Z9 GT PHEV’s 201 km (125 miles) and bettering some pure electric vehicles currently on sale.
If those huge range figures weren’t enough to whet your appetite, the Z9 GT has also been spied using BYD’s new flash charging infrastructure in China, which consists of 1,500 kW charging sockets that can fill the batteries in minutes.
The Denza Z9 is currently only available in China, but the company plans to launch both the saloon and fastback in the UK and Europe this year.
Analysis: Big numbers, bold claims
It’s worth noting that China’s light vehicle test cycle, or CLTC for short, is a bit more generous compared to WLTP testing, which is used throughout Europe, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) range estimation procedure used in the US.
Denza’s estimates of 644 miles will be based on a best-case scenario, and we all know that the range of electric vehicles decreases dramatically depending on weather, climate, and how 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 can go between 380 and 450 miles, depending on conditions. It is still a hugely impressive figure.
By comparison, the Mercedes-Benz EQS has an official WLTP range of 481 miles, but we know that in reality will be much less, while the recently launched Volvo EX60 says it can travel more than 500 miles on the same test cycles.
Whether Denza’s considerable range figures make it a world leader or not, the capability and efficiency alone mean customers will get closer to the kind of real-world range that makes electric vehicles highly competitive with their internal combustion engine rivals.
To convert a field of skeptics, automakers will have to prove that upcoming electric vehicles require little to no commitment from the buyer… and that includes driving more than 400 miles in a single period.
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