BYD’s New Flagship EV SUV Blows The Competition Out Of The Water

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BYD Datang uses a 1,000-volt architecture, 1,500 kilowatts of charging power and a range of nearly 600 miles.

BYD is leaving Western carmakers in the dust with its new range of electric vehicles.
The Datang SUV is the company’s new flagship, and it’s definitely a technological feast.
The three-row electric vehicle has a range of nearly 600 miles and up to 1.5 megawatts of charging power.

While some U.S. automakers are scaling back their EV ambitions, China’s BYD is pushing ahead with a newer EV portfolio that leaves Western companies in the dust. BYD’s new flagship SUV, the Datang, is similar in size and purpose to the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Lucid Gravity, but blows them away in terms of underlying technology.

Based on BYD’s latest Super e platform, which features the newly released second-generation Blade lithium iron phosphate battery, the Datang SUV’s spec sheet is simply unbeatable compared to its closest rivals.

We’re talking 1,000-volt architecture and 1,500-kilowatt flash charging capabilities that can replenish the car’s battery as quickly as a traditional refill. According to BYD, its second-generation Blade battery can be charged from 10% to 97% in just 9 minutes when connected to its latest flash charger, meaning owners will have little time to go to the bathroom during charging stops.

Even in freezing temperatures of -22°F (-30°C), BYD’s new LFP batteries can charge 20-97% in approximately 12 minutes, unlike any battery currently available in the United States.

By comparison, the Lucid Gravity and Porsche Cayenne EV, the fastest-charging electric SUVs sold in the U.S., can accept up to 400 kW of power from sufficiently powerful DC fast chargers. In terms of range, the Gravity with a 123-kWh battery is EPA-rated for a range of up to 450 miles (724 kilometers), while the Cayenne Electric with a 108-kWh battery pack has yet to receive an EPA rating. That said, the entry-level version of the Cayenne has a WLTP range of up to 339 miles (642 kilometers), which according to EPA procedures should be about 341 miles (550 kilometers).

Meanwhile, the BYD Datang in rear-wheel-drive configuration has a maximum estimated range of 590 miles (950 kilometers), but keep in mind that that number is likely a result of China’s CLTC program, which is known for producing fairly optimistic results, largely due to the high urban driving weighting of that cycle. If this impressive electric SUV sets foot in the United States, its EPA rating will likely be around 400 miles (643 kilometers), which isn’t as good as the top-spec Lucid Gravity, but still better than the 337-mile Lucid Gravity Touring.

The Great Tang RWD will be available in China with 402 hp (300 kW) or 496 hp (370 kW). There’s also an all-wheel-drive version that adds a 288-horsepower (215-kilowatt) electric motor at the front for extra power, but range is slightly reduced, with a reported 528 miles (850 kilometers) on the CLTC cycle.

With a length of 208.7 inches (5,302 mm) and a wheelbase of 123.2 inches (3,130 mm), the BYD Datang is quite a stately vehicle, especially with its two-tone color scheme. The car comes standard with a three-row layout and provides captain’s chairs for second-row passengers.

There’s a built-in fridge, a fold-out screen for rear passengers and three screens up front. That said, the company hasn’t revealed the size of these screens or the available capacity of the high-voltage batteries, so we’ll have to wait and see how it stacks up against Western and Korean rivals.

Rear-wheel steering, adaptive suspension and BYD’s “God’s Eye” B lidar-based advanced driver assistance system are also on the feature list. It’s a pretty compelling package, with prices expected to start at 400,000 yuan, or about $58,000 at today’s exchange rates.