BYD Launches1000-Volt EV Platform
Shenzhen-based company is planning to startselling electric cars based on its new Super E-platform. What’s so super aboutSuper-E? For starters, it is based on 1,000-volt architecture. At the heart ofthe new platform are new and improved Blade batteries that support ultra-fastcharging, high-performance electric motors, and a new generation of siliconcarbide power chips. BYD calls them flash charge batteries because they have a10C charging rate, the highest of any mass-produced traction battery in theworld.
The company said it redesigned its Bladebatteries to allow faster ion transfer in the electrolyte with less resistancethrough the diaphragm to achieve the faster charging rate. Introduction of thenew architecture will be accompanied by an extensive network of ultra-fastcharging stations. BYD will attach energy storage facilities to thoseultra-fast charging locations so the 1,000 kW charging power can be reachedeven in areas with insufficient power capacity. The company’s two flagshipmodels, the Han L and Tang L, will be based on the new platform first. Bothwere presented in January and have been extensively revised compared to theirpredecessors.
The C in the charging rate is an indicator ofthe ratio of battery size to charging capacity. At 1C, an 80 kWh battery can becharged with a maximum of 80 kW. At 4C, the same battery can theoretically becharged with six times the charging capacity, up to 400 kW. The first Chineseelectric cars are already being offered with 5C batteries, such as the Li Megafrom Li Auto and the current version of the Zeekr 001. Both have batteries fromCATL and should theoretically be able to add up to 500 kilometers of range intwelve minutes.
Such fast-charging speeds can only bemaintained for a short period of time. All EV owners know that charging speedtapers as the battery charge exceeds about 50 percent and gets downright pokeyabove 80 percent SOC. On March 17, 2025, BYD also announced it had raisedbillions on the Hong Kong stock exchange, which bodes well for the future ofthe Chinese automotive giant. The company said it intends to invest the fundsin research and development, expand its international business, and increaseits working capital, accordingto Electrive.
The “Super E-platform” will be capable of peakcharging speeds of 1,000 kilowatts (kW), enabling cars that use it to travel400 km (249 miles) on a 5-minute charge, founder Wang Chuanfu said at an eventlivestreamed from the company’s headquarters on Monday. Charging output of1,000 kW would be twice as much as Tesla Superchargers offer, the latestversion of which offers up to 500 kW of charging power. Fast chargingtechnology has been key to increasing EV adoption, as it is seen to help assureEV drivers’ concerns over being able to charge their cars quickly.
“In order to completely solve our user’scharging anxiety, we have been pursuing a goal to make the charging time ofelectric vehicles as short as the refuelling time of petrol vehicles,” Wangsaid. This is the first time in the industry that the one megawatt of chargingpower has been achieved for an electric car. BYD said it would build over 4,000ultra-fast charging units across China to match the new platform, Reuters reports.
BYD also unveiled its new high RPM motor atthis week’s event. The motor can spin at speeds up to 30,511 revolutions perminute, making it the first mass produced motor in the world to exceed 30,000RPM. It has a peak power of up to 580 kW (778 hp), which is also the highest ofany mass produced motor in the world and exceeds the performance of a V12gasoline engine, the company said. The motor has a power density of 16.4 kW/kg,the highest in the industry, according to BYD. Sharp eyed readers will note thenew battery electric MercedesCLA is fitted with a two-speed transmissionto maximize efficiency at both low and high speeds.
To support its new high-power motor, BYD hasdeveloped a new generation of silicon carbide power chips with voltage ratingsup to 1,500 volts. The Han L EV sedan and Tang L SUV will be the first modelsbased on BYD’s Super E-platform and both are available for pre-order in Chinatoday. The price range for the Han L EV is RMB 270,000 ($37,330) to RMB350,000, while the Tang L EV starts at RMB 280,000 to RMB 360,000. Both modelsboast strong performance, with the Han L EV accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometersper hour in 2.7 seconds and the Tang L EV in 3.6 seconds. Both are alsoequipped with the BYD God’s EyeB smart driving system, with hardwareincluding a roof-mounted Lidar.
God’s Eye C, the lowest level of the newtechnology package, utilizes “12 cameras, 5 mm-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonicradars. Those 12 cameras consist of 3 front view cameras, 5 panoramic cameras,and 4 surround view cameras. Five mm-wave radars provide 360 degree non-deadangle perception and the front radar has a detection distance of 300 meters.The accuracy of the 12 ultrasonic radar sensors is 1 cm, while the parkingaccuracy is 2 cm.” It is now standard equipment on the BYD Seagull, abattery-electric hatchback that sells in China for less than $10,000. God’s EyeC averages over 1,000 km of autonomous driving between human interventions,which is already better than what Tesla claims for its FSD system. BYD’slow-end system can also valet park without a driver.
God’s Eye B adds Lidar to the technologypackage and is Level 3 capable for highway driving. It has been tested on realroads for more than a year and has driven across China with no humanintervention in testing using a BYD Denza sedan. This system is included onvehicles priced in line with Teslas. Denza is a premium brand that began as ajoint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz. God’s Eye A has three LiDARsensors and is Level 3 highway and city capable. With regulatory approval, manyobservers in China believe that system is Level 4 capable at the present time.
The question that should be on everyone’s lipsis, how is Tesla going to compete with BYD? It is building five-year-old modelswith dated technology while BYD is offering its customers cutting edgetechnology in freshly designed vehicles and doing it for less money. Tesla canhide behind tariff walls in the US and the EU, but in China it has to gohead-to-head with the best the Chinese auto industry can offer. BYD says it has150,000 engineers doing basic research on batteries, electric motors, and computersystems while Tesla is focused on improving the efficiency of its factories soit can build the same old stuff more cheaply. Which company do you think hasthe best chance of long-term success?