- China’s BYD claims it’s now selling the world’s longest-range electric car.
- The new Denza Z9S delivers up to 683 miles on a full charge, but there’s an asterisk in there.
- A 102.3-kilowatt-hour LFP battery that can be charged in just five minutes is standard on all versions.
BYD, the Chinese giant that wants to dominate the world’s electrified vehicle sales charts, is now boasting that it makes the longest-range EV on the globe. The Denza Z9S is a four-door sedan that starts from the equivalent of just $47,100 in China, yet it delivers a maximum driving range of 683 miles (1,100 kilometers) on a full charge, according to its maker.
That’s a huge number, and it prompted Li Hui, Denza’s general manager, to say that it’s “not meant to be remembered, but to be forgotten,” according to CNEVPost. That’s because the car can drive for such long distances that owners might forget to plug it in.
Photo by: BYD
The car itself is quite impressive for the price, offering a 102.3-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack on all versions, ultra-fast charging capabilities, a roof-mounted Lidar sensor for advanced driver assistance systems, and up to three electric motors.
The Denza Z9S makes use of BYD’s second-generation Blade battery, which has made headlines since its debut for its blisteringly fast charging speeds, with just five minutes needed to go from 10-to-70%. Meanwhile, a 10-to-97% session should take just nine minutes, which, together with the vast driving range, makes gas cars pretty much irrelevant.
Getting back to the range, Denza will offer three versions of the Z9S: one that can go 484 miles (780 km), one that’s good for 571 miles (920 km), and the top-tier 683-mile (1,100-km) version. However, as impressive as these numbers may be, they’re all based on China’s rather lenient CLTC procedure, which favors more low-speed driving than high-speed cruising.
In the U.S., the longest-range Denza Z9S would probably have an EPA-estimated range of around 480 miles (772 km). That’s still impressive, but it’s not quite the all-time best out there, a title that still goes to the American-made Lucid Air Grand Touring, which has an EPA-estimated 512 miles (824 km) of range. On the CLTC cycle, the Air would likely be rated for approximately 730 miles (1,174 km).
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Source: BYD
BYD’s Denza Z9S gets a single electric motor in the base version, which is rated at 496 horsepower (370 kW), while the fanciest models get a tri-motor setup that’s good for a whopping 1,193 hp (890 kW).
As is the case with most tech-forward Chinese EVs, the interior features plenty of screen real estate. What’s more, the sedan features standard rear-wheel steering, a trick air body control system, and BYD’s God’s Eye 5.0 assisted driving system.