BYD, the world number 1 in electric vehicles ahead of Tesla, is preparing a new electric car: the YangWang U7. It could overshadow the Tesla Model S, with very long autonomy. But the first information is disappointing, despite a huge battery.
Range is one of the first purchasing criteria for an electric car. However, as we have already seen in the past, 400 km of theoretical autonomy is enough to cross France, provided you benefit from fast charging. However, some manufacturers want to break autonomy records, with batteries with immense capacities.
This is the path that BYD, Tesla’s biggest competitor, and the world number 1 in electric cars since the fourth quarter of 2023, seems to be taking. The Chinese giant is currently preparing the release of its future high-end electric sedan, named YangWang U7. . We are starting to have more information about him, thanks to the Chinese Ministry of Information and Communication, via Car News Chinawhich revealed the range and size of the battery (produced by BYD subsidiary FinDreams) of this next car.
800 km of autonomy? Not so fast!
Customers will have the choice between two versions, with 720 and 800 km of autonomy respectively on the Chinese CLTC approval cycle. If it were one day sold in Europe, the YangWang U7 should announce a lower theoretical autonomy, due to the stricter WLTP cycle. We could expect 620 and 680 km of range respectively.
On the battery side, BYD would be planning something heavy, with a capacity of 135.5 kWh. It is enormous. For comparison, the Tesla Model S integrates a battery with a capacity of around 95 kWh for a theoretical range of 723 km WLTP. If the values of the YangWang U7 prove to be accurate, we would then be faced with an electric car that is very hungry for electrons, with incredible consumption.
A one-ton battery? Almost !
The weight of the battery would also be immense: 903 kg, bringing the total weight of the car to 3,095 kg. This is once again enormous, because the 150 kWh semi-solid battery of the Nio ET7 weighs “only” 575 kg and can exceed 1,000 km on a charge in real conditions. We imagine that this extra weight should not help at all to control the car’s consumption.
However, we will have to wait for the technical characteristics of the car to be made official to know the consumption of the car (taking into account the losses linked to recharging), and above all, the price and availability of the YangWang U7. Some rumors announce that the presence of the Chinese manufacturer at the Geneva Motor Show at the end of February would be an opportunity to show the YangWang cars (notably the U8 and U9) in Europe, with a view to their marketing on the old continent.
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