BYD even claims the battery can achieve up to 460 miles for some models
BYD is set to launch a next-generation Blade EV battery in 2025, promising enhanced driving range and improved battery life for its electric vehicles (EVs). Building on the success of its original Blade battery, which has helped BYD become one of the world’s largest EV and battery manufacturers, the new batteries will offer up to a 30 percent increase in driving range.
For example, models like the BYD Seal Premium are expected to achieve up to 460 miles on a single charge. The new Blade batteries will continue to utilize lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) technology, which is more affordable than traditional lithium-ion batteries.
Moreover, the brand’s batteries are already powering vehicles for major automakers like Tesla, Toyota, Ford, Kia, and Hyundai, further solidifying the company’s position as the world’s second-largest producer of EVs and power batteries. Cao Shuang, managing director of BYD Central Asia in the European Auto Sales Division discussed the company’s commitment to improving battery performance.
He revealed in an interview at the COP29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, that the next-generation Blade battery would not only enhance driving range but also extend the battery’s life cycle.
BYD’s focus on battery life cycle management also includes efforts to repurpose used batteries for other applications, such as energy storage, once they have completed their first life in vehicles. The brand’s original Blade battery, introduced in March 2020, uses LFP chemistry and focuses on safety. These batteries are now used across BYD’s entire lineup of new energy vehicles (NEVs).
On top of that, the company has not updated its battery technology for several years, while competitors like CATL have launched multiple new battery products. BYD is expected to release its second-generation Blade battery in the latter half of 2024, which will feature a 6 C battery.
Additionally, the second-generation Blade battery will be featured in BYD’s luxury sub-brand Yangwang’s U7 sedan, which will have an impressive charging multiplier of over 5.5 C and a discharging multiplier of more than 14 C. Yangwang, which targets the ultra-luxury market, plans to launch the U7 sedan priced at around RMB 1 million (USD138,000).
The brand’s first vehicle, the Yangwang U8 off-road SUV, has already been announced, and pre-sales of the U7 began in November 2023, although pricing details and an official launch date have yet to be confirmed.
