How BYD’s Next-Gen Battery Could Make Its Super Affordable EVs Even Cheaper

How BYD’s Next-Gen Battery Could Make Its Super Affordable EVs Even Cheaper

BYD is already undercutting other EV makers with its unfathomably cheap budget options, like the Seagull and Dolphin, but that doesn’t mean it can’t go even lower.

According to CarNewsChina, BYD is looking to launch the second-generation model of its Blade battery as early as August of this year. The company’s current-gen Blade battery is in most of BYD’s EVs, with a long and flat design that doesn’t burst into flames if penetrated by anything sharp. Now, BYD wants to improve on its already successful battery design with something that’s better in pretty much every way.

Smaller, Lighter, Cheaper

According to BYD’s chairman Wang Chuanfu, the new blade battery will have more efficient power consumption so its future EVs get better range and performance. The upcoming BYD battery is rumored to hit 1,000 km on a single charge, or around 621 miles, on the CLTC range. With max range numbers like that, BYD may even be able to compete with the likes of solid-state batteries that companies like Toyota are working on.

The second-gen blade battery should also allow for more space for the passengers, thanks to its smaller and lighter design. More importantly, BYD’s improved batteries may cost less to manufacture, which could translate to lower prices for customers. BYD is already known for wildly affordable EVs, like its latest Seagull model which is priced below $10,000 and slated for launch in the U.K.

Can Other EV Makers Keep Up?

If BYD’s existing lineup of budget EVs wasn’t already a wake-up call to other automakers, the threat of even more affordable options coming thanks to better batteries should be. Ford’s CEO Jim Farley recently admitted that companies that can’t compete with Chinese EV makers could risk losing a decent chunk of their revenue. Tesla may even be walking back its plans to release an EV priced around $25,000 due to competition from overseas.

American automakers are starting to lean towards more affordable EV models, but BYD’s second-gen blade battery could allow the company to lap its competition when it comes to affordability.