The battery can add an amazing amount of range in just 10 minutes. That’s how fast it is.
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BYD has released its second-generation Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.
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They have 5% higher energy density and significantly higher efficiency than first-generation battery packs.
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They have about ten production models ready to go.
BYD is making waves today by launching its second-generation Blade battery with ultra-fast charging speeds. To support them, it’s also launching new flash charging stations that can deliver more power than the megawatt chargers we saw last year.
The world’s largest electric car maker saw its biggest sales decline since the pandemic, with sales falling 41% in February amid fierce competition in China’s electric car market. BYD now hopes to make a comeback by popularizing its cutting-edge new technology.
The second-generation Blade battery can be charged from 10% to 70% in approximately 5 minutes, and from 10% to 97% in 10 minutes. Even more impressively, the company demonstrated that the battery can be charged from 20% to 97% in about 12 minutes at -22°F (-30°C), which is only about three minutes slower than charging at normal temperatures.
BYD Blade 2.0 second generation battery
This efficiency is impressive because traditional lithium-ion batteries charge very slowly in extremely cold environments. Cold weather slows down the transfer of electrons within the battery, affecting charging efficiency.
In a video posted by BYD on Chinese social media platform Weibo, the automaker showed off a luxury electric station wagon, the Denza Z9GT, which charges using the company’s new 1,500-kilowatt flash charging station.
The electric car can travel 93 kilometers (57 miles) with a 9% charge. In 9 minutes and 51 seconds it charged to 97%, with the range forecast in the instrument cluster showing 1,008 kilometers (626 miles). This may be calibrated against the China Lightweight Test Cycle (CLTC), which tends to be more optimistic than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) test cycle
Still, these charging speeds are much faster than the 20-40 minutes it takes for the latest electric cars in the United States. The new BYD electric cars can basically be charged in almost the same time as refueling a gasoline car. Even the new 1,500 kilowatt (1.5 megawatt) flash charging stations are laid out like traditional gas stations for cars to quickly drive in and out.
BYD Blade 2.0 second generation battery
China has also implemented the world’s strictest battery safety standards. They require automakers to ensure that batteries do not catch fire or explode for at least two hours after an individual cell enters thermal runaway. If batteries do catch fire, Chinese automakers are trying some unusual ways to protect their cars and occupants from battery fires.
BYD said its new Blade batteries meet the new standards and showed in a demonstration video multiple nail-prick tests on a single battery pack that did not appear to catch fire.
New batteries are not some distant technology. BYD said it is ready to invest in up to 10 mass-produced models, including Yangwang U7, Denza Z9GT, Seal 07, Hiace 06, etc.
Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
