The BYD (EV) Thread

BYD's Yangwang U7 gets an update, 150 kWh battery and impressively low consumption

BYD is planning to refresh its luxury Yangwang U7 sedan, which comes in fully-electric and PHEV variants. Regulatory filings reveal the updated BEV version sports a massive 150 kWh LFP battery and 17.7 kWh per 100 km consumption.

The Yangwang U7 EV model year 2026 will be offered in two powertrain versions - 1,287 hp and 1,341 hp, both of which will adopt the 150-kWh LFP battery. That's a significant upgrade over the previous 135 kWh battery.

According to CLTC, the top-tier variant's range on a single charge is 860 km, while the regular 1,287-hp iteration can run 1,006 km before requiring a recharge. The documents also reveal an impressive 17.7 kWh per 100 km consumption, a 10% improvement over the previous Yangwang U7 generation with the 135 kWh pack. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that the newer version is 100 kg heavier.

www.arenaev.com

BYD's Yangwang U7 gets an update, 150 kWh battery and impressively low consumption

The U7 will also get a more powerful powertrain.
www.arenaev.com www.arenaev.com

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BYD developing new PHEV powertrain with over 300 km of electric range – rumour

Reports from China have suggested that BYD is developing a new plug-in hybrid powertrain that will offer an electric-only driving range exceeding 300 km.

New-energy vehicle (NEV) brand BYD is rumoured to be developing a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, with reports from China suggesting the next-generation setup, likely to be called ‘DM-i 6.0’, will offer an electric-only driving range of over 300 km (on the China Light-duty Test Cycle, CLTC) from a lithium-ferro phosphate (LFP) battery. Said to feature 900 V electric architecture, the PHEV arrangement will likely offer faster charging capability than the current DM-i 5.0 system.

Although BYD has yet to confirm whether this rumoured powertrain is, indeed, in development, reports have suggested that the new tech could make its way into the (321 kW) Shark 6 bakkie, which we tested in the August 2025 issue of CAR magazine, in the future. As a reminder, the most powerful bakkie in South Africa offers a claimed electric-only operating range of up to 85 km when its 29.6 kWh battery pack, the latter capable of receiving up to 55 kW at a DC charging facility, is fully charged.

If confirmed, in addition to the Shark 6, it’s also been said that the Sealion 6, which we sampled in Dynamic trim in July 2025, could receive this powertrain. The Sealion 6 offers an electric-only driving range of up to 80 km from its fully charged 18.3 kWh battery pack.

 

BYD Seal recalled over possible battery issues - Team-BHP​

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According to a media report, BYD has issued a recall to replace the high-voltage battery of the Seal. The exact number of units that are affected by this recall is not known.

Customers across India have been requested to get their vehicles inspected at their nearest authorised service station. The issue pertains to the Seal’s Blade battery. As per reports, BYD will be replacing the faulty battery pack free of cost.

The BYD Seal was launched in 2024. The electric sedan is offered with two battery options: 61.44 kWh and 82.56 kWh. It comes with single- and dual-motor configurations and has a range of up to 650 km, depending on the variant.

There are no reports of any other BYD models being recalled for the same battery issue.
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"What came next blew our minds": the Yangwang U9's 308mph run was our moment of the year

Times are a-changing, a Chinese EV is now the fastest car in the world

Where were you on 14 September 2025? One Chinese carmaker was playing in the Germans’ backyard – and about to deliver a mic drop that would send massive shockwaves around the automotive world.

Enter BYD sub-brand Yangwang with its U9 Xtreme rocketship. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, and after a 290mph ‘wobble’ on his first attempt, German race driver Marc Basseng popped a couple of brave pills and took to the high speed test oval at ATP Papenburg, determined to stick one to Christian von Koenigsegg, Mate Rimac, John Hennessey and the rest of the 300mph club.

What came next blew our minds. Marc held his nerve, and his breakfast, to hit 308.4mph, dethroning the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ (304.8mph) after six long years to become the fastest road legal car – electric or otherwise – on the planet, cementing its place in the history books forever.

The U9 Extreme makes everything with a combustion engine look a bit... weak. It produces 2,978bhp from four electric motors (each spinning to 30,000rpm) – that’s over double the 1,288bhp ‘standard’ U9 and 1,217bhp per tonne. It’s also the first production car to run on a 1,200V architecture, essential to deliver all that power to the motors, and can support up to 1,000A current – the same as some electric trains.

 
8 most powerful bakkies in SA in 2026

We have rounded up the eight most powerful bakkies available in South Africa in SA. See the full list below…

In the highly competitive local bakkie segment, there are several double-cabs producing significant power outputs. But who takes the crown as most powerful in South Africa? Well, we have compiled a list comprising the eight most powerful bakkies in SA in 2026.

7=. Ford Ranger 3.0TD V6 4WD – 184 kW

7=. Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI V6 4Motion – 184 kW

6. Jeep Gladiator 3.6 Rubicon – 209 kW

5. Ineos Grenadier 3.0T Quartermaster – 210 kW

4. Volkswagen Amarok 2.3 TSI PanAmericana 4Motion – 222 kW

3. GWM P500 2.0T HEV double cab Ultra Luxury 4×4 – 255 kW

2. Ford Ranger 3.0T V6 double cab Raptor 4WD – 292 kW

1. BYD Shark 6 double cab Premium AWD – 321 kW

 
So went to go pull the trigger on the Dolphin Ext, only to be told there is no stock....
The reason from one of the dealers was because they are prepping the release of the 2026 model.
Went to a different dealer, same thing. Their reason was because they are waiting on BYD to deliver stock.

Seems like government is announcing something at the end of the Feb around the EV strategy - not holding my breath.
And then the tax incentives for manufacturers start from 1 March.

Maybe they're holding stock back for the 2026 Dolphin release to push the Surf and new Atto3 releases, maybe once these sales slow they'll drop the new Dolphin, who knows. The other side is that Jan and Feb are apparently the lowest sales months and maybe they're prepping for Mar/Apr/May release.

On a side note, I popped in to 2 GWM's while I was driving around and none of them had stock on the Ora3, one dealer said they are waiting for a relaunch strategy. Also going to try Leapmotor with the B05 tomorrow to see what they say.
 
I'm waiting for the 2026 Dolphin extended range. Hopefully it will be out by July Or August. The refresh will be much better than the current one.
 
Zero surprise you had no luck re: Ora. The brand has been a nonstarter for the most part in SA hence for the "relaunch strategy".

Unlike all the other GWM sub-brands that have done good to great.

Second hand is obvs a diff story.

Leapmotor too early to speculate on their up-take.
 
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