1000 km for electric cars from BYD, Tesla’s biggest competitor? It is possible

Tesla’s main competitor, BYD, is set to unveil a new generation of electric car batteries. The good news is that it will still be a cheap, cobalt-free LFP chemistry. But this time, the maximum can reach 1,000 km.

BYD is the world’s number two in electric cars, just behind Tesla. The Chinese company sells many electric cars and plug-in hybrids. But it also sells a lot of batteries for these same cars. It is even the Chinese number two, just behind the giant CATL. For the record, BYD has been supplying batteries for the Berlin-made Tesla Model Y Propulsion for several months. It is enough to allow it to recharge from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes. I have never seen it in Tesla.

But unfortunately, BYD batteries are not very attractive in the cars of the Chinese manufacturer. Their charge time is higher than Tesla, and the autonomy is not great, due to the use of BYD electric vehicles. Even if everything is improving little by little. And of course, the next generation of BYD batteries can reduce this a bit.

1,000 km of theoretical freedom in the viewfinder?

BYD boss Wang Chuanfu recently spoke about the topic, during the presentation of the company’s financial results for the first quarter of 2024. The opportunity to announce that the 2nd generation of BYD batteries will be launched in August 2024. On the program, officially: a reduce the weight and size of the battery, reduce consumption, and thus increase freedom with the same capacity.

We will have to be content with these statements from the BYD boss. Fortunately, insider gossip allows us to see things more clearly. According to these, relayed by the media MyDrivers, the energy density of future BYD batteries will increase rapidly, from 150 to 190 Wh / kg. In other words, it will be possible to save 25% more energy, for the same weight.

This is what enables us to tell the Chinese media that BYD will be able to offer electric vehicles with a range of 1,000 kilometers on the Chinese CLTC hybrid approval cycle. Or about 850 km on our European WLTP approval cycle.

Which cars will benefit from it?

Currently, the largest battery capacity in BYD is 108.8 kWh, which is available in the newly redesigned BYD Tang. But its heavy consumption limits its CLTC range to 730 km. It is said that BYD’s Yangwang U7 will integrate a 135.5 kWh battery. Will this car be the first in BYD to target 1000 kilometers of theoretical autonomy?

Let’s remember that there are already electric cars with such freedom, such as the Zeekr 001 sold in Europe, or the Nio ET5. But at the cost, always, of a large battery, with 140 and 150 kWh respectively. And, as a result, great weight, meaning the same high consumption, but also an unaffordable purchase price for the general public.

For its next generation of batteries, BYD would keep its signature, namely the Blade format (in strips) and LFP (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) type chemistry, doing it completely without cobalt. The advantage is the lower manufacturing cost than other chemistries (especially NMA and NCM), for the degradation of energy density, which is slightly lower. In comparison, the energy density of NMA and NCM chemistries is more than 190 Wh/kg: up to 255 Wh/kg for CATL Qilin 3.0, making it possible to exceed 1,000 kilometers of autonomy.