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Chinese automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) will continue its global expansion with upcoming EV debuts in Europe, not only under its own namesake, but alongside the official launch of its Denza sub-brand overseas. Here’s what visitors to next month’s IAA Mobility in Munich can look forward to seeing.

BYD Auto continues to deliver another notable year in EV production and global market expansion. In addition to passenger electric vehicles, the company and develops and implements battery technology and has a respectable lineup on the commercial side of new energy vehicles (BEVs and plug-in hybrids).

To date, BYD has a presence in 400 cities across more than 70 countries and is not slowing down as it recently rolled its 500 millionth plug-in EV off its assembly lines this month. Last summer, the conglomerate announced entry into new EV markets in Japan, followed plans for Europe a mere 10 days later.

By October, we learned that BYD’s Seal EV would be making the trip over to consumers in Europe at some point in 2023, joining the ATTO 3 which is already for sale and becoming a best seller in certain countries. Now, we have learned that BYD will not only kick off Seal sales next month in Munich, but is also officially launching its Denza brand on the continent.

BYD EV Europe
The BYD Seal, soon on its way to Europe / Credit: BYD

BYD, Denza to begin new EV sales in Europe next month

To begin, BYD’s premium Denza brand will officially launch at IAA Mobility in Munich a few weeks from now. The sub-brand is a joint venture between BYD and Daimler AG that started in 2010 and has only produced a single EV in its first several years.

Daimler has since lowered its stake in the venture to 10%, but Denza still offers two fully-electric options in China – the latest being a multipurpose vehicle (MPV) called the D9. This will be the EV to kick off Denza’s entry into Europe, although the sub-brand has not divulged when sales will officially begin.

Meanwhile, Denza’s parent company BYD will be launching some EVs of its own in Europe, including the aforementioned Seal. Automotive News Europe points out that the sedan will be sold in two different battery variations – a 71.8 kWh BYD Blade Battery with a 420km (260 miles) range (WLTP) in the Comfort version of the Seal, and a 87 kWh pack in the Design trim offering 500km (310 mi) range.

The Seal EV is expected to begin sales in Europe this fall, alongside the Seal U SUV. Those models will join the Dolphin, Tang, and ATTO 3 currently available in the EU, bringing BYD’s total to six models by the end of this year. Sale overseas remain relatively small compared to its native China, but BYD is working to become a household name in EVs around the globe, so we’d expect to see its presence in Europe continue to grow.

You can see the BYD EVs and Denza D9 on display at IAA Mobility, which will take place at the Munich Exhibition Center from September 5-10, 2023.

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Troubling times for Tesla, Nissan, and Dodge – plus some fun yellow stuff!

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Troubling times for Tesla, Nissan, and Dodge – plus some fun yellow stuff!

Tesla’s Q2 results are in, and they are way, way down from Q2 of 2024. At the same time, Nissan seems to be in serious trouble and the first-ever all-electric Dodge muscle car is getting recalled because its dumb engine noises are the wrong kind of dumb engine noises. All this and more on today’s deeply troubled episode of Quick Charge!

We’ve also got an awesome article from Micah Toll about a hitherto unexplored genre of electric lawn equipment, a $440 million mining equipment deal, and a list of incompetent, corrupt, and stupid politicians who voted away their constituents’ futures to line their pockets.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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OpenAI says Robinhood’s tokens aren’t equity in the company

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OpenAI says Robinhood's tokens aren't equity in the company

Jaque Silva | Nurphoto | Getty Images

OpenAI is distancing itself from Robinhood‘s latest crypto push after the trading platform began offering tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to users in Europe.

“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”

The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”

Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.

“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.

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Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.

“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”

The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain

U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.

Robinhood hits record high as OpenAI, SpaceX go on-chain

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BYD launches new discounts, offering +50% off smart driving tech

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BYD launches new discounts, offering +50% off smart driving tech

Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.

BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech

After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”

Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.

BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).

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It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.

The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).

BYD-new-discounts
BYD Fang Cheng Bao 5 SUV testing (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).

Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.

BYD-Tai-3-electric-SUV
BYD Fang Cheng Bao Tai 3 electric SUV (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.

BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.

The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.

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