BYD was present at the 2022 IAA Transportation 2022 in Hanover, Germany with a full hand of new EV solutions.
The Chinese company presented an all-new eBus Blade Platform, two electric trucks, and the latest generation of its 12m electric bus for the European market.
Let's start with the trucks - the first one is the BYD ETH8 (19 tons) vehicle, envisioned for logistics and waste collection.
The second one is a smaller BYD ETM6 (7.5 tons) urban delivery truck - which reminds us of the North American BYD 6F shown in 2021. Payload is almost 4,000 kg (3,990 kg).
It has a 150 kW electric motor, a 126 kWh battery (LFP,) and a range of up to 200 km (124 miles) fully loaded, according to the manufacturer's website. DC fast charging is possible at up to 120 kW.
The ETM6 appears to be an interesting vehicle with an attractive design, but only time will tell whether it will do well in the highly competitive European market.
BYD eBus Blade Platform
The star of the show is, however, the BYD eBus Blade Platform, which features BYD's in-house developed Blade Battery (LFP chemistry and cell-to-pack (CTP) battery system).
Because of the compact size (relatively high volumetric energy density), the batteries can be located in the floor of the bus and carry some load while also strengthening the vehicle's structure. Unfortunately, BYD does not provide any technical details.
It might be a significant improvement compared to the previously most popular solution of installing batteries on the roof of the buses. We are curious whether other manufacturers will also switch to this layout in the coming years.
"The Blade’s Battery distinctive CTP (cell to pack) technology significantly improves rigidity compared to traditional structures, giving it superior strength. The space-saving design of the Blade Battery, representing a 50% reduction, is inherent to eBus Blade Platform development, enabling increased battery capacity for a longer driving range, while also reducing chassis weight."
At the show, BYD also presented an upgraded new generation 12m electric bus (but still with batteries on the roof), which reportedly offers a more spacious interior.
If fitted with a 422 kWh battery (the top configuration), it is expected to have a range of up to 450 km (280 miles).
BYD notes that its cumulative New Energy Vehicle sales (plug-ins - BEVs/PHEVs) exceeded 2.5 million (almost entirely in China), of which 90,000 are commercial vehicles - buses and trucks.
