Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has unveiled the second-generation Blade Battery, its first major battery upgrade in six years. The new battery can charge from 20% to 97% in under 12 minutes and operate at temperatures as low as −20°C. It offers a driving range of about 777 km, while higher-density versions are expected to enable premium models to exceed 1,000 km on a single charge.
The battery will be used in several BYD vehicles, including the Denza Z9GT and Yangwang U7. During the launch event in Shenzhen, the company introduced more than ten models equipped with the new battery. Prices range from 155,000 yuan for the Song Ultra EV to 1.3 million yuan for the Yangwang U8L.
BYD also plans to expand its “Flash Charging” network to 20,000 stations by the end of 2026, including 2,000 highway stations. As of early March, the company had built more than 4,000 stations.
The announcement comes as BYD faces slowing domestic sales and growing competition in China’s EV market. Sales began declining in the second half of 2025 and continued in early 2026, when rival Geely surpassed BYD in domestic sales. The expiration of China’s purchase tax exemption for EVs and plug-in hybrids has also supported traditional automakers such as Volkswagen in regaining market share.
Earlier models introduced by BYD, including the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV launched in April, recorded combined sales of about 49,000 units by January, compared with BYD’s total vehicle sales of 3.76 million during the same period.
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