BYD Blade 2.0 battery unveiled – greater energy density; 10-70% charge in 5 minutes, 10-97% in 9 mins

BYD has unveiled its second-generation Blade battery, bringing increased energy density and reduced charging times, the latter even in extreme cold, the manufacturer has announced. This comes nearly six years after the original Blade battery was announced, with a focus on safety in particular at its unveiling in March 2020.

The company boasts of over 1,000 km of range with the new battery technology, and together with its new Flash Charging technology, is capable of a claimed 10-70% recharge in five minutes, or 10-97% in nine minutes.

This extends to operation in sub-zero weather conditions, where a 20-97% charge takes 12 minutes at -20 degrees Celsius, and the same duration at -30 degrees Celsius, or just three minutes longer than when conducted in optimal conditions. The Blade 2.0 battery offers 5% greater energy density, promises a longer lifespan, and adheres to stricter safety standards, reported Car News China.

First to feature the second-generation BYD Blade battery will be the Yangwang U7, which offers a claimed 1,006 km in the CLTC Chinese domestic testing cycle, or around 825 km on the more realistic WLTP testing standard from a 150 kWh battery pack.

Supporting the new battery technology is the manufacturer’s new Flash Charging stations that will be rolled out in China. This is reported to deliver a maximum output of 1,500 kW at 1,000 volts, to support high speed charging even in extreme cold.

While charging at such high outputs imposes a strain on the power grid, BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu said that the firm’s solution is to implement a “station-within-a-station” model in collaboration with existing charging stations in China, and this approach will involve energy storage batteries.

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