BYD Han first drive: A sleek introduction to a growing name in foreign EVs
BYD’s EVs may not be sold in the United States, but that wasn’t about to stop me from getting my hands on one. As the (self-proclaimed) resident expert on Chinese EV automakers here at Electrek, I felt a civic duty to you readers to get behind the wheel of the BYD vehicle, in this case a 2021 Han EV and report my initial thoughts about a brand that is quickly expanding en route to becoming a household name. Join me on my journey through sunny Southern California during my first driving experience with BYD.
Quick background. BYD, short for “Build Your Dreams,” is a Chinese manufacturing conglomerate founded in 1995, of which its BYD Auto subsidiary followed eight years later. With two decades of automotive experience under its belt, BYD Auto only recently built its final combustion vehicle, leaning further into its current status as one of the world’s largest plug-in EV manufacturers.
BYD’s full embrace of electrification has helped deliver a growing lineup of two separate series of EVs in the Chinese market, including the Han luxury sedan. Most recently, the automaker has looked to expand the global access of its all-electric products as well.
In the summer of 2022, BYD Auto shared plans to begin selling its EVs in the Japanese market followed by a vow of future EV deliveries in Germany and Sweden just over a week later. Other markets have been announced since including Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and, most recently, the UK.
To support its growing sales footprint overseas, BYD shared its intentions for at least one, if not two, manufacturing facilities in Europe. The company recently stated it’s more likely to build its own plant rather than inherit one from another automaker like Ford, for instance.
One of the EV models that will be a key offering in BYD’s expansion into Europe will be the Han sedan, and although it may not be for sale in the US, its North American team was able to get us access to one to try out. Here are my impressions.
The Han EV is BYD’s mid-size luxury sedan offering
Let’s start off with some specs so you have an idea of what I was working with during my week with the BYD Han. Unfortunately, because the Han is not sold in the US, I was driving a model built for China that had been adapted for US roads.
So I didn’t have access to all the features the EV has to offer, but was definitely more than able to experience the criteria that truly counts… I just didn’t have navigation. That said, I know my way around the South Bay of California pretty well these days (and also have that iPhone thing as a backup).
Furthermore, my first drive with BYD was in a 2021 version of the Han – once again, not a North American EV, so the company has not gotten a more recent model over to the West Coast yet. Still, the BYD Han had plenty to offer if only as an appetizer to a brand growing on a global scale.
The EV I was loaned was a dual motor, all-wheel-drive configuration powered by a 76.9 kWh pack featuring BYD’s unique LFP blade batteries. The pack combines for 550 km (341 mi) range (NEDC), and I can contest that actual range was over 300 miles.
As you can see in the images above, my BYD Han came in an “AI Blue” exterior complimented by 19″ two-tone aluminum alloy wheels. While its charging standard was GB/T (again, China), one of the coolest parts about the BYD Han’s exterior was its vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities. As you can see above, I was able to plug in a coffee maker and have some much needed caffeine to start my day, all powered by the EV itself.
My version of the Han was also the Lux trim, complete with a slew of high-end details, especially when you work your way inside. Check it out:
A sleek, spacious interior and a very smooth drive
Despite being in an EV not necessarily designed for my country, the BYD Han had a lot to offer me as a driver and even more for my passengers. As you can see in the images above, the textiles were a quality caramel leather, extending from the dash all the way back to the rear seats where the passengers can control most of the EV’s functions themselves on their very own touchscreen.
I had no trouble connecting my phone via Bluetooth and listening to my music, although I did find it funny that the system tried to showcase album covers for the bands I was listening to, but they were of Chinese artists that were clearly not a match in the best way.
I particularly enjoyed the air purification system that tells you the quality of the air outside the BYD Han and what the levels are inside the cabin for comparison. I also found the steering wheel buttons intuitive and easy to learn. The center tablet can display horizontally or flip vertically (two years before the Fisker Ocean did it, sorry Henrik), but I found I really didn’t really like the vertical screen. Anyways, how did the BYD Han drive? Let me tell you:
Overall I found the ride of the 2021 BYD Han to be smooth, efficient, and slightly sporty to boot. You can notice the low drag coefficient of 0.233 as the EV seems to cut through passing air resistance, especially as you flip to sport mode and really open it up.
It’s 0-62 mph acceleration in 3.9 seconds is definitely fast, but didn’t knock my socks off. Still, I took it up and down some windy roads and it handled everything with speed and ease. Not to mention a quiet interior, even with the panoramic roof open to get a whiff of that salty ocean air (sorry to those of you in the snow right now, I just had to rub it in).
I found the Han’s camera system to be better than good, offering a rear camera plus side and bird’s-eye looks to ensure nothing gets dinged. Very helpful. The trunk space (410 liters) left a bit to be desired in terms of multiple sets of golf clubs, but for a sedan of its size, it’s adequate. No frunk either as you can see above.
Perhaps everyone is just clueless around me, but I thought driving around in this sleek blue EV would be sure to turn some heads and have people wondering, “what the hell is that?” To my disappointment, that wasn’t really the case. There were definitely some Tesla drivers taking pictures and the occasional double take at a crosswalk though. Perhaps BYD needs to get its name out more in the US!
Overall, I found driving the BYD Han to be quite enjoyable, and you most certainly feel the luxury element when inside it, no matter what seat you’re in. As I’ve mentioned several times on other drives, I prefer really stiff regenerative braking, and the Han didn’t give me that, even on its highest setting, but the rest of its performance was above what I’d expect for its price range.
I truly appreciate the opportunity I had to test out an EV so rare (non-existent, really) for this market and get my first BYD drive off my checklist. I’m looking forward to comparing the Han to plenty more BYD EV drives as the company continues to expand in 2023 and beyond. Until then!
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Velotric has continued to regularly update its popular e-bike models, with the latest launch today bringing us the Nomad 2. This fat tire adventure bike carries a host of new features and components, offering a powerful yet comfortable ride on both city streets and off-road trails.
The Velotric Nomad 2 sports a 750W nominally-rated motor with a true 90 Nm of torque. In other words, it’s designed to eat hills for breakfast and lay down some real power when riders need it most. And with both throttle-activated control and 15 levels of responsive pedal assist, that power can be dialed in to the right level for each rider’s own taste. And with a maximum speed of 28 mph, the bike is fast enough to keep up with traffic… when riders aren’t enjoying a relaxing trail ride.
Speaking of pedal assist, Velotric offers what they call SensorSwap, a feature in the pedal assist system that uses both a cadence sensor and a torque sensor and allows riders to select which sensor is being used at any time. The former allows riders to pedal easily while still getting impressive power output from the motor, while the latter offers more intuitive riding that provides a more natural feeling akin to pedaling a bike with extra powerful legs.
Torque sensors are often considered superior for their more refined experience, but cadense sensors are still praised by riders who don’t want to put in the extra effort required by torque sensors. With a torque sensor, the rider’s pedaling effort is multiplied, but a cadense sensor lets riders feel like they’re pedaling without needing to actually provide as much of their own ‘oomph’.
The Nomad 2’s design includes off-road features such as 26×4.0″ tires, a 100mm travel hydraulic suspension fork, and an included parallel linkage suspension seat post.
Combined with the powerful motor that offers 1,000 lb of towing capacity (plus 505 lb of payload), the 75 lb e-bike is built to handle just about anything, and that includes nearly any trail.
“Sometimes the road less traveled is the better one,” says Adam Zhang, the CEO of Velotric. “Nomad 2 speaks to those who love the journey, and the occasional detour! Whether you’re climbing trails, hauling heavy loads, or simply cruising, our latest bike gives you the freedom to ride further, faster, and more comfortably than ever before.”
And since off-road adventures often don’t have clear-cut end times, the bike offers 65 miles of maximum range thanks to the 48V and 14.7 Ah battery with 705 Wh of capacity. That battery is UL-listed and IPX7 waterproof, meaning you can dunk it in water. I’ve done exactly that with Velotric batteries before and they’ve survived for many more rides.
Rounding out the feature list includes a 3.5″ color display, Bluetooth connectivity, USB-C phone charger, 500 lumen headlight, tail light with turn signals, included rear rack with fenders, hydraulic disc brakes, an 8-speed Shimano transmission, and more.
The Velotric Nomad 2 is priced at $1,999 and went on sale today.
Riders can snag it in two sizes with four color options, and with a choice between a high-step and a step-through frame style.
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A Tesla store in New York City has been taken over by people protesting Elon Musk – disrupting the operations.
As we have reported over the last few weeks, there’s a growing movement called “Tesla Takedown,” under which grassroots protests are being organized at Tesla stores around the world.
There have been many more protests this weekend. Some of them had truly impressive turnouts.
For example, hundreds of people showed up to protest at Tesla’s Tuscon location (via Andy Flach):
These protests have been peaceful and legal, but there have been a few exceptions.
At Tesla’s Manhattan store in New York City today, some protestors managed to get inside the store and it started to cause problems.
Here’s a video (via Oliya Scootercaster ):
About 300 people showed up to the protests. Most of them stayed protesting peacefully outside, but a handful of people got in and Tesla employees had to close the stores as more tried to get in.
The police confirmed having arrested 9 people, but the charges are not clear as of now.
In videos of the aftermath, it looks like a few glass doors and windows were broken.
Similar protests have been reported in most major cities in the US and they are planned for the next few weeks.
Electrek’s Take
This is getting bigger and still gaining momentum. I’m honestly surprised by the response. I thought it would last weekend with a few dozen people at a few stores and that’s it.
But it looks like now thousands of people are getting active and it’s becoming a real problem for Tesla.
Enough to get the board to act and remove Elon Musk? I doubt it. Elon has done plenty of fireable offenses and they haven’t even blinked – because they are all in Elon’s pockets.
I think the stock price is the only thing that can really get things moving.
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Electrifying your commercial fleet is a tricky thing. Sure, you want to cut your fuel costs. You want to reduce your operating variables. Heck you you even want to help corporate meet their ESG goals – but where do you start? MAN Trucks is here to help fleet managers get answers.
As more and more heavy trucking fleets begin to deploy electric assets, they’re proving that operators’ range anxiety may be a myth on most routes. That’s true enough here in North America, and truer still in Europe where distances between cities are condensed and trucks like the Mercedes eActros and Renault E-Tech T semi roam.
MAN Trucks are also a popular choice in Europe, and their leadership – unlike most in the industry – have been especially vocal in their criticism of hydrogen, and have fully embraced battery-electric vehicles. As such, it’s no wonder that the company took to LinkedIn to announce its MAN electric commercial vehicles consultation team.
“It’s Full Power here with the MAN electric commercial vehicles consultation team,” writes Roger Turnbull, Head of EV Truck Consultation at MAN Truck. “After another busy week of meetings presenting to haulage and transport organizations of all sizes across the UK – you can feel the EV interest and enthusiasm growing.”
MAN Trucks’ consultation team helps commercial fleet operators in Europe and the UK fully understand the needs of their fleet, analyzes their fuel and maintenance costs, and helps them get a better understanding of what fleet assets are prime candidates for electrification, and what sort of charging solutions might work best for their operations – and that doesn’t always mean on-site charging.
With the capacity for onsite charging now becoming a reality for many plus proof that operators range anxiety maybe a myth on most routes, our industry is already stepping up a gear to find out more.
ROGER TURNBULL, MAN TRUCKS
Off-site charging solutions like those offered by Voltera and Zeem here in the US seem to be somewhat less common in Europe, but the electric trucking infrastructure as-a-whole seems to be a step or two ahead. That, combined with generally higher fuel costs compared to the US, make it a bit easier for fleets to electrify. And MAN will help them see that.
The best part? MAN’s consultation is free, and requires no obligation to buy. “Your MAN EV Consultation Team in the UK offer free information, advice and support,” offers Turnbull. “[Everything] from the basics to multi-vehicle using multiple site locations. Factually checked and honest.”
You can’t do much better than free, right?
Electrek’s Take
Fleet assessments and fleet asset audits are crucial steps on the path to successful fleet electrification. These comprehensive evaluations provide fleet operators with valuable insights into their current fleet operations, energy consumption patterns, and infrastructure needs. By carefully analyzing this data, fleet managers can make informed decisions about which vehicles to prioritize for electrification while minimizing the potential for “surprises” once the trucks are delivered and the funds are tied up.
If you’re a fleet manager reading this, you should get a fleet energy analysis set up soon – whether you’re planning to electrify or not.
SOURCE | PHOTOS: MAN Trucks.
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