BYD takes on premium EV rivals in China with Great Tang SUV, tops 150,000 pre-orders

BYD Co. showed off its largest electric car to date under its namesake brand, as the Chinese automaker attempts to challenge premium rivals with a more affordable sport utility vehicle.At 17 feet long, the seven-seat Great Tang, also known as the Datang, has gone on sale in China starting at 239,900 yuan ($35,500), less than BYD had previously planned, the company said Wednesday at an event in Xi’an, the old capital of the Tang Dynasty.

By creating a large SUV with the latest battery technology at a mass-market price point, the world’s largest electric-vehicle manufacturer is taking aim at domestic premium rivals like Huawei Technologies Co.’s Aito and Li Auto Inc., as well as foreign automakers. Large upmarket SUVs in China like the Aito M9 or Li Auto’s L9 typically command prices as high as 500,000 yuan.
The unveiling follows an initial wave of consumer interest. The Great Tang has received more than 150,000 pre-orders since its preliminary debut at the Beijing Auto Show in April, the company said.The order surge is testing BYD. Production of its second-generation blade batteries, which were marketed in March as a step-up, is struggling to keep up with demand, Chairman Wang Chuanfu said at an investor event last week.

The Great Tang is the biggest test for the battery technology and a newly-developed high-voltage architecture. Under Chinese testing, the long-range rear-wheel-drive variant of the Great Tang can travel up to 950 kilometers (590 miles) on a single charge.

BYD is able to create a more affordable premium EV because it develops much of the technology itself, including power cells, semiconductors and chassis systems. As the car market in China cools, the company is trying to make the most of its advanced range and charging as key selling points.