BYD’s industry-leading Blade Battery is setting the new benchmark

The Blade Battery is up there with the pinnacle of electric battery technology, but BYD’s journey to achieving such advancements has been anything but straightforward.

While they might be relatively new to these shores, would it surprise you to learn that you might have already witnessed their technology in the flesh for the past two decades?

With a rich and successful history, they’ve utilised their expertise in electric battery technology to create the market-leading Blade Battery, which now exclusively powers their range of New Energy Vehicles, including the ATTO 3 and DOLPHIN.

From mobile phones to face masks, we explore how BYD’s journey into electric mobility led them to create the industry-leading Blade Battery.

An insight into BYD’s history

BYD and its many subsidiaries have a rich history in the battery and electronic space beyond cars.

BYD were founded in China back in February 1995 and began producing lithium-ion batteries the following year. As a brand, they found success in their early years, becoming suppliers for high-profile mobile phone manufacturers Nokia and Motorola by 2002.

The company’s first vehicle didn’t arrive until 2005, in the form of the F3, with over a million sales in China.

The F3 would pave the way for a fruitful and long-standing history in the automotive world as BYD launched the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid, the F3DM. An evolution of the F3, it would later become known as the BYD Chin.

The F3DM never reached the UK, its sales were primarily linked to the Chinese market. In fact, during its limited lifespan, BYD sold less than a dozen units throughout Europe, with the Chin ahead of its time.

Their ventures into the world of electric mobility have also seen them involved with buses, trucks and even forklifts among other modes of transport.

As a brand, BYD are committed to creating a greener and more efficient world. Their commitment to a better world saw them turn their attention to the global Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, where they quickly became the world’s largest supplier of face masks.

While it has taken until 2023 to see BYD cars in the UK, their technology has been a prominent figure on our roads for some time. Working alongside Alexander Dennis Limited – one of the world’s largest bus manufacturers – to create electric buses throughout London and beyond.

If you’ve ever had to travel through London on a bus, there’s every chance you’ve already experienced some of BYD’s class-leading technology.

Introducing the Blade Battery

The Blade Battery is a unique and market-leading battery that powers BYD’s New Energy Vehicles. Compared to most traditional European electric car batteries, the Blade Battery’s unique edge is its use of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) as the cathode material.

Lithium-ion batteries are the most common source of batteries for EVs, but there are many variants and possible battery chemistries, such as a ternary lithium battery, that uses lithium nickel cobalt manganate.

The LFP battery is an alternative variant of a lithium-ion battery, using lithium iron phosphate as its positive electrode and carbon as the negative electrode.
They have already become increasingly common in EVs that are prominent in the North American and Asian markets, but less so in Europe.

However, the tide is beginning to turn among rival manufacturers. Favoured for their increased safety and durability, LFP batteries are quickly becoming the preferred option.

LFP batteries have been significantly more common throughout North America and Asia, but with more manufacturers like BYD moving into European markets, it is poised to become one of the more common battery options.

Blade Battery vs Lithium-ion Battery

Both the Blade Battery and Lithium-ion battery have characteristics that make them perfectly suited for electric vehicles; they’re lightweight, durable and have long life cycles.

However, when compared to alternative batteries, the LFP battery has a higher working voltage rate, a higher energy density, as well as improved safety performance and a longer life cycle.

The success of the BYD Blade Battery has not gone unnoticed. So much so, Tesla have started installing the Blade Battery in certain Model Y vehicles produced from their Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany.

What makes the Blade Battery so impressive?

Longer lifecycle

The Blade Battery is designed to endure more. With the long-term health of EV batteries often cited among the most common barriers to entry, you can drive away with the confidence that the Blade Battery has over 5,000 charge and discharge cycles.

Improved space utilisation

By increasing the space utilisation by more than 50% when compared to a traditional electric car battery, there is increased space available for more batteries to form the Blade Battery. This allows vehicles to deliver improved range and improves energy density.

Ultra safe performance

Following substantial investment into their production line, the Blade Battery now boasts a fully automated production to maximise their annual production capacity.

Having passed a serious of extreme tests, it is renowned as one of the world’s safest batteries. The aluminium honeycomb-like structure improves the rigidity and optimises the strength of the battery pack.

Nail penetration test

Dubbed as the ‘Mount Everest’ of all safety tests in the battery industry, the Nail Penetration Test is one of the flagship benchmarks that sees the Blade Battery stand alone as one of the safest batteries in the world.

It is a test designed to gauge battery thermal runaway by simulating a serious traffic collision. The consequences of the battery that follows determine the results, with examiners looking for changes to temperatures, voltage changes and whether or not the battery catches fire or bursts when penetrated.

One element of the test includes placing an uncooked raw egg on top of the battery, using it as a gauge for overheating. While testing a regular LFP battery, temperatures reached up to 400 degrees, burning the egg in the process.

However, when tested, the Blade Battery showed no signs of overheating during the same process with the raw egg remaining both uncooked and intact. 

Experience next level electric technology for yourself

Experience the next level battery technology yourself with a BYD test drive. Visit our Exeter based dealership to get up close and personal with BYD’s range of New Energy Vehicles and enquire about the multiple financing options we have available.