BYD unveils faster-charging Blade Battery to revive China sales

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, March 5 (Reuters) – BYD unveiled its first major battery upgrade in six years on Thursday, as the Chinese electric vehicle maker seeks to regain momentum in a highly competitive domestic market after a steep sales slump.

The second-generation Blade Battery can charge rapidly from 20% to 97% in under 12 minutes, even at minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit), delivering a driving range of 777 km (483 miles), BYD’s chairman Wang Chuanfu said in Shenzhen.

The higher-density batteries can push BYD’s premium Denza Z9GT and luxury Yangwang U7 models beyond a 1,000 km driving range, Wang said, and have passed safety tests exceeding China’s latest national standards.

BYD also aims to expand its “Flash Charging” network to 20,000 stations by the end of 2026, including 2,000 on highways. The company had built more than 4,000 stations as of March 5.

VALUE-DRIVEN MARKET

The unveiling comes as Beijing pushes for a shift toward a value-driven auto market, steering companies away from punishing price wars and towards more distinctive, better-quality products.

BYD is also aligning with China’s latest initiative to double the number of charging facilities in three years.

Wary of last year’s discount-driven stock selloff in the sector and regulatory warnings, BYD rolled out longer-range plug-in hybrids this year and joined Tesla in offering seven-year low-interest financing plans.

However, the company is yet to reverse a slump in domestic sales attributed to BYD’s diminishing technological leadership, Chinese media reports have previously cited Wang as saying.

FAILED TO STEM DOMESTIC SALES SLIDE

BYD’s early 2025 innovation pitches failed to stem a sales slide that began in the second half of 2025, and volumes fell further in January and February this year, when BYD was overtaken by local rival Geely.

The expiration of China’s purchase tax exemption on EVs and plug-in hybrids has also benefited legacy automakers like Volkswagen, which regained its top-selling position in China in January.

Last year, BYD sought to drive innovation with advanced assisted-driving features on affordable models priced under $10,000.

It also touted a five-minute super-charging system last year to take on Tesla in charging speed, and rolled out two EV models – Han L sedan and Tang L SUV – in April.

But combined sales of both totalled just 49,000 units as of January, a small slice of BYD’s total sales of 3.76 million vehicles over the same period.

(Reporting by Beijing and Shanghai Newsrooms; Editing by Louise Heavens and Bernadette Baum)