We have been waiting for him for several months. the first Y model equipped with a battery from BYD has arrived. The American SUV equipped with this “new” Chinese battery rolled off the assembly lines of the Gigafactory in Berlin.

The Tesla Model Y should soon receive, depending on the version, the famous Blade battery, well known to electric car enthusiasts, as it is manufactured by the Chinese company BYD. It is a battery with LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) chemistry.

Better energy density than CATL battery

Although the collaboration between the two companies is known, neither has ever officially acknowledged the existence of any deal. For what ? Simply because in terms of sales, Tesla and BYD are now competing head-to-head in the world of electric cars on a global scale.

The Blade battery, supplied by FinDreams, BYD’s battery subsidiary, features a cell-to-pack architecture. It does not have many intermediate modules, which increases its energy density.

The battery shows interesting characteristics. In Model Y, this battery has capacity 55 kW/h and can take the maximum load power 170 kW/hwhich allows you to go from 10 to 70% autonomy in just a quarter of an hour.

Still in prototype stage

According to German media, the Blade battery arrived at the Gigafactory in Berlin about a month ago, on May 4 to be exact. Its introduction to the production lines took place about 15 days later, on May 20, when the first Tesla Model Y equipped with a BYD battery left the factory.

At the moment, the Model Y equipped with a Chinese battery is still not “officially” released and is still in the prototype stage. This model can enter the catalog as an entry level with range approximately 440 km.

An interesting figure, since, let’s recall, the Y Propulsion model, which is manufactured in China and equipped with a CATL battery, claims a range of 455 km with a capacity of 60 kWh.