Byd’s denza z9 gt targets record electric range with new batteries and charging tech

Tuesday 03 - 12:45

By: Dakir Madiha

Byd’s denza z9 gt targets record electric range with new batteries and charging tech

BYD’s luxury brand Denza is preparing to launch an updated Z9 GT electric shooting brake that claims up to 1,036 kilometers of range on China’s CLTC test cycle, or 644 miles, a figure that would place it among the longest-range production electric vehicles on the market. The new model improves range by about 64 percent compared with the current Z9 GT, which is rated at up to 630 kilometers CLTC, and will be unveiled on 5 March at a technology-focused event in Shenzhen that BYD presents as a showcase for “disruptive” innovations. Regulatory filings from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology show that the Z9 GT will be offered with two battery packs, a 102.3 kilowatt-hour option with up to 820 kilometers of CLTC range and a larger 122.5 kilowatt-hour pack that unlocks the headline 1,036 kilometer figure; under Europe’s more conservative WLTP protocol, the longest-range version is expected to reach around 900 kilometers, or 559 miles.

The powertrain lineup has been reworked to give buyers a choice between a single-motor rear-wheel-drive configuration and a tri-motor all-wheel-drive system on the fully electric Z9 GT. The rear-drive model uses a 370 kilowatt motor rated at about 496 horsepower, while the all-wheel-drive variant combines three motors for a total output of around 850 kilowatts, or 1,140 horsepower, an increase over the 710 kilowatts available in the outgoing version. Alongside the pure-electric models, Denza has filed for a plug-in hybrid Z9 GT that pairs combustion power with a 63.8 kilowatt-hour battery pack, nearly twice the capacity of its predecessor, allowing more than 400 kilometers of electric-only CLTC driving compared with 201 kilometers for the previous plug-in hybrid.

Test vehicles of the Z9 GT have already been seen using BYD’s experimental “flash charging” infrastructure rated at up to 1,500 kilowatts, with liquid-cooled connectors designed to handle currents of around 1,500 amperes at voltages of up to 1,000 volts. BYD intends to detail this ultra-high-power charging system at the same 5 March event where it will also introduce a second-generation Blade Battery that targets higher energy density and faster charging. Internal documents and reports indicate that the new Blade cells aim for energy densities in the range of 190 to 210 watt-hours per kilogram, up from roughly 140 to 150 watt-hours per kilogram today, while also reducing costs by about 15 percent and achieving lifespans beyond 3,000 full charge cycles.

The Z9 GT will be the first model to feature BYD’s God’s Eye 5.0 advanced driver assistance suite, which uses end-to-end reinforcement learning and relies on a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor to support its perception system. BYD has outlined plans to make highway-capable semi-autonomous functions standard equipment on vehicles priced above 100,000 yuan and to include more advanced urban driving features as standard once list prices exceed 150,000 yuan. In parallel with the shooting brake, filings show that the standard Denza Z9 sedan, which uses the same 102.3 and 122.5 kilowatt-hour battery packs, is certified with CLTC ranges of up to 1,068 kilometers, a figure that would edge past the Z9 GT as the company’s true range leader, although Denza has not yet confirmed that number in public announcements.