BYD is launching fully electric vehicles with over 1,000 km (620 miles) CLTC range. After previewing the new Denza Z9 GT, BYD claimed it is “the world’s longest pure electric driving range vehicle.”
Is the BYD Denza Z9 GT the longest-range EV?
BYD’s luxury brand Denza offered a first look at the all-new Z9 GT on Friday, its high-performance luxury electric shooting brake. In a social media post, Denza said the new Z9 GT could achieve a CLTC range of 1,036 km (644 miles) on a single charge.
According to Denza, that makes it “the world’s longest pure electric driving range vehicle.” The current Z9 GT EV has a CLTC range of up to 630 km (391 miles), marking an impressive 64% improvement.
Last month, the updated standard Denza Z9 and GT variants were revealed in China’s MIIT regulatory filings. The filing revealed that the all-new Denza Z9 GT EV will be offered with two battery packs: 102.326 kWh and 122.496 kWh, providing CLTC ranges of 820-1,036 km (509-644 miles), respectively.
Interestingly, the standard Z9, powered by the same battery packs, will have a CLTC driving range of up to 1,068 km (664 miles), which would make it the longest-range EV, but Denza has yet to announce it.
The new Denza Z9 GT will continue to be available in both fully electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrains.
The new PHEV versions will be equipped with a 63.82 kWh battery pack, providing an all-electric CLTC range of over 400 km (248 miles), nearly double that of the current Denza Z9 GT PHEV’s 201 km (125 miles).
Inside, the luxury shooting brake features a massive 17.3″ central touchscreen, alongside dual 12.3″ driver cluster and passenger displays.
With a length of 5,195 mm, a width of 1,990 mm, and a height of 1,480 mm, with a wheelbase of 3,125 mm, the Denza Z9 GT is about the size of the Porsche Panamera.
The updated luxury EV version will launch with both single-motor and tri-motor configurations. The single-motor variant features a rear-mounted electric motor with 370 kW (496 hp), while the tri-motor model packs a combined 850 kW (1,140 hp), a considerable jump from the 710 kW (952 hp) in the outgoing Denza Z9 GT.
Introduced earlier this year, the new model is equipped with BYD’s God’s Eye 5.0 system, which provides ADAS features like Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) in the city and on highways, as well as Automatic Emergency Steering (AES).
BYD will reveal prices closer to launch, but the current Denza Z9 GT EV starts at 354,800 yuan ($51,700) in China. While the current model is sold only in China, BYD plans to launch Denza in Europe and the UK this year to challenge Porsche, BMW, and other domestic luxury brands.
The Denza Z9 GT will debut on March 5 during BYD’s “disruptive technology” event, where it’s expected to showcase its new BYD Blade 2.0 battery, megawatt ultra-fast charging system, and “God’s Eye” 5.0 ADAS.
Recent social media posts claim the updated model was spotted charging at BYD’s new 1,500 kW flash charger ahead of its debut. Check back on March 5 for the full details.
Electrek’s Take
Although it’s under CLTC conditions, a range of over 1,000 km (620 miles) is still impressive. Not to mention, way more than what the average driver needs.
Is the new Denza Z9 GT really the world’s longest-range EV? BYD claims it is. Perhaps for a production electric vehicle, anyway.
Keep in mind, this is on the CLTC rating scale. On the WLTP scale, it would be closer to about 900 km (559 miles) range.
We’ve seen prototypes, such as the Mercedes EQXX, with 600W of solar panels on the roof, achieve over 1,200 km (750 miles) range on a single charge.
The Lucid Air Grand Touring set a Guinness World Record last year after travelling over 1,200 km (745 miles) on a single charge.
Either way, BYD is not the only one introducing more efficient, longer-range electric vehicles. As new battery, powertrain, and other EV tech continue to advance, EVs are becoming more efficient, safer, and faster to charge. Imagine what they will be capable of in another 5 or 10 years?
Source: BYD Denza, CarNewsChina
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