BYD Just Outdid Tesla At Its Own Game
This is no longer just about EVs.
By now, you know the routine. Musk, in his infinite wisdom, has micromanaged Tesla into non-existent innovation, while the socialist country actively funding EV innovation not only catches up but leapfrogs them. We are seeing this happen again and again. But I have never seen such a comprehensive takedown of Tesla as BYD. Not only are their cars beautifully built, they also overtook Tesla as the world’s largest EV maker and outsold Tesla across all of Europe this April. In terms of sales, BYD has already smashed Tesla. But now, they are aiming for the jugular and want to beat Tesla at their own game.
What made Tesla such a huge sales hit before things hit the fascist fan? Range, charging speed and charging network. Tesla cars charge at a peak of 250 kW, although they are very “peaky”, so that number is somewhat misleading (as always with Musk), with their average charge rate from 10% to 80% actually sitting at around 120 kW. The vast majority of Tesla Superchargers deliver a maximum of 250 kW, with a few able to deliver 350 kW (excluding the semi-exclusive chargers). But there are over 1,100 of these superchargers installed in Europe and over 1,400 in the UK. This, combined with the fact that most Teslas have more than 300 miles of range, makes long-range trips far easier than in most other EVs.
This was the feather in Tesla’s cap that helped them sell millions of EVs. And BYD just took a huge steam turd on it with their Super e-Platform and 1,000 kW “flash chargers”.
I have discussed these technological leaps before, but to recap, the Super e-Platform is BYD’s new EV platform, which is being introduced for the first time in the Han L model. This platform uses an 83.2 kWh LFP Blade Battery, giving the Han L a WLTP range of roughly 348 miles. All pretty normal, right? Well, this battery doesn’t use the normal 400-volt architecture; no, it uses 1,000 volts, giving it a peak charge rate of 1,000 kW! And, unlike the Tesla, this isn’t “peaky”, with an average charge rate between 10% and 80% of 600 kW.
Just to be clear, BYD didn’t have to do this. They have been able to outsell Tesla in both of those markets with slower charging cars that don’t have access to Tesla’s network. That in and of itself is pretty damn impressive and shows how attitudes towards EV ownership have significantly changed. That means 1.2 miles of charge every second and up to 249 miles’ worth of charge in just five minutes of charging. It also means a 10% to 80% charge doesn’t take 25 minutes like the Tesla — it takes just seven minutes!
This is so fast that it means the Super e-Platform can “fill up” as quickly as a combustion vehicle! That isn’t only a vast leap ahead of Tesla but a milestone that mass-market EVs weren’t expected to reach until the mid-2030s. Even then, these EVs were expected to be extremely expensive, but the Han L starts from the equivalent of $30,000 in China.
Now, this is all great, but this capability is meaningless unless you can use a 1,000 kW charger. Luckily, BYD has already developed one and is beginning to install these “flash chargers” — but only in China, and because the chargers that make the Super e-Platform useful, it seemed this incredible technology would be exclusive to China exclusive for the foreseeable future.
Or, at least, that is what we thought.
BYD Special Advisor Alfredo Altavilla recently told The Independent that these chargers are coming to the UK and every EU country next year. They will be open for all brands to use, not just BYD, but, of course, BYD is the only brand selling cars capable of using the max 1,000 kW rate. Altavilla also said, “The minute we made this public, we, and specifically I, started getting dozens of calls from all the companies in the space that want to become our partner in doing this together.” So, we might see a truly rapid rollout of these charges.
The first Super e-Platform cars, with roughly the same specs as the Han L, are expected to hit the EU and UK markets in November, starting with BYD’s premium Denza brand, priced to compete with the likes of Porsche. But, because the Super e-Platform uses the relatively cheaper LFP battery chemistry, it’s expected that more budget EVs will follow soon after. There is even the possibility that the BYD models currently for sale in the UK and EU, like the Seal, might switch to use the Super e-Platform.
So, very soon, the EU and UK could be full of 1,000 kW chargers, and if BYD’s sales continue, hundreds of thousands of EVs capable of using them to their max. To say this will make Tesla and its charger network obsolete is an understatement.
Tesla is already being outpaced in Europe and the UK by BYD, even with their current slower-charging cars. That alone is a huge achievement, and it shows how attitudes towards EV ownership are significantly changing as people realise how little they actually need to use rapid chargers. BYD didn’t have to pull this trump card out of the hat, but they have, and it will kick Tesla when it is down. So, expect Tesla sales in the EU and UK to plummet even further next year.
The myth that capitalism always equates to innovation is now thoroughly debunked. Over time, it tends to create monopolies and industry-controlling giants. Then, they push for weird neoliberal economic nationalist market protection policies, closing the open market to actual innovation. We have seen this pattern repeat itself over and over again, and our wallets and quality of life are a testament to that. Meanwhile, socialist countries which welcome open free trade, fund industry development, and actively support growth can advance at a truly astonishing rate. The result of this ideological split? The rest of the world will get EVs cheaper than equivalent combustion cars and a brand new charging network capable of topping them up as fast as a combustion car. They will truly enter the electric age. Meanwhile, Americans will be burdened by an outdated, slow charging network and stagnant EV development.
BYD isn’t just crushing Tesla. They are openly mocking the fractured political landscape that the US has imposed on the world.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel for more from me, or Subscribe. Oh, and don’t forget to hit the share button below to get the word out!
Sources: The Independent, This Is Money, Will Lockett, ECC, Auto Car, RAC, Will Lockett, Reuters, Silicon
That also solves the problem of EV drivers lacking home charging. But makes utility power supply for the fast chargers even more of a challenge