If you are looking to get feedback on just how good your new luxury sedan is, then probably the best place to go to get that nod of approval is Stuttgart, Germany. They know a few things about luxury sedans in that part of the world. Big things are expected from the BYD Han with its revolutionary “Blade” battery.
The Han, which has orders reported to be over 30,000 already in China, is expected to go on sale in Europe as well in the near future. A Tesla Model S-sized sedan for the price of a Model 3 — who wouldn’t want one! We hope the Han makes its way to Africa soon as well. With starting prices of around $33,000, the Han looks to be a gamechanger, so no wonder BYD was keen to flaunt it in Mercedes’ home town.
Here is a video of the Han in Germany and how it was received, with BYD going all out on the reviews, which is a good thing, as the more EVs there are on the road the better for us all.
The Han’s Blade battery is a revolutionary battery in cell-to-pack (CTP) configuration. The cobalt-free lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells are making a big comeback in the EV industry thanks to recent improvements by leading battery manufacturers that now produce battery packs in the region of 160 Wh/kg and above. Cobalt is expensive and also controversial, with issues around child labor in some informal mines in the DRC. Progress in the LFP industry is very welcome as it will allow firms to produce cheaper battery packs, and ultimately cheaper EVs.
The Han certainly looks stunning. Reviews so far have been very positive. If BYD can scale up production fast enough, it will certainly sell out fast in many markets around the world. Judging by the geographical spread of BYD’s electric bus sales, BYD definitely looks keen to take its products to all corners of the world.
BYD’s website says:
“The Han EV’s long-range pure electric version has a remarkable single-charge range of 605 kilometers (376 miles) based on the NEDC test cycle. The four-wheel-drive high-performance version possesses an acceleration of 0 to 100km/h (approximately 62 mph) in just 3.9 seconds, making it China’s fastest EV in production, while the DM (Dual Mode) plug-in hybrid model offers 0 to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds, making it the country’s fastest hybrid sedan.”
That 3.9S (seconds) is inscribed on the back of the Han. The Han’s variants are powered by:
- A 65 kWh pack (506 km of range), with a single 163 kW electric motor driving the front wheels.
- A 77 kWh pack with a choice of either single or dual motors. The front-wheel-drive configuration has the longest range of 605 kilometers. The all-wheel-drive version comes with a 200 kW electric motor for the rear wheels and has a range of 550 km.
BYD Han, image courtesy BYD
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