BYD's Blade Battery

In consumer surveys, the two biggest concerns people have when considering an EV are safety and range. Any firm that can solve both of these problems will be poised for meaningful success.

In March BYD published the following video explaining their breakthrough battery design known as the “Blade Battery.” The primary purpose of the blade design is its superior safety relative to the two other primary EV battery designs. The Blade is so safe, that you can drill a nail straight through the battery and the surface temperature will not rise above 60C. If you were to conduct this test on NCM Lithium Batteries or Cubic Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries, they would instantly explode or heat to 200C to 400C degrees, respectively. Causing enormous auto damage to the car and possibly killing the passengers.

In addition to a huge improvement in safety, the Blade has the added effect of compressing 50% more energy into the same amount of space relative to previous-generation batteries. Increasing the average range from 400 km to 600 km. Keep in mind that the average gas-powered car has a range of 400 km.

Recharge time, while important, is not as critical as safety and range. Nonetheless, Blade can be charged from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. With a range of more than 50% greater than the average gas-powered car, and safety greater than any other EV on the market, and a fast-charging time; BYD may well be able to convince consumers to switch to an EV.

The video begins with Wang Chuanfu explaining the high-level development, followed by He Long giving a technical explanation, and then they conduct a live nail test.