The Chinese manufacturer looks to revolutionize the B2B market in India with the New Generation e6. The brand new MPV pushes the boundaries of safety and performance with its benchmark Blade Battery and CN95 facemask level – Air Purification system.
Build Your Dreams (BYD), headquartered in the Shaanxi Province, China has bought the Next Generation e6 specifically for the commercial vehicle market in India. BYD has spent over a decade in sharpening and refining the next generation e6, with data collected from engineers, designers, drivers and passengers around the world. The company redesigned the MPV with ideas inspired by emotions. The dragon-faced front end symbolises happiness and luck, following the Chinese cultural beliefs.
BYD has paid good attention to passenger comfort and storage. The next-gen e6 comes with a generous 580L of storage space. The cabin is integrated with premium leather seats and six adjustable positions for the driver and for the front passenger. The on-going pandemic and the need for a safer, healthier atmosphere has led BYD come up the revolutionary CN95 Medical Grade – Facemask Level air filtration system. This allows fleet operators to provide comfortable and a healthier ride to the passengers.
The centre console promotes a rich, minimalistic look, thanks to the large 25.65 cm rotating touch screen. This has replaced the numerous buttons on the centre panel allowing the entire cabin to look clean and breathable. The centre touch screen can be viewed in both landscape and portrait mode, depending on the rider preference. It can be connected to a mobile-hotspot, to access various applications including media and navigation. The air-conditioning can also be controlled on the hub, with precise accuracy of temperature and the vents used. Dragon heart centre control panel, to select the drive mode and engage the electronic parking brake, is designed in such a way that the driver can use them and operate the vehicle without taking the eyes off the road.
THE BLADE BATTERY – CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
BYD has set a benchmark with the Blade Battery. This is a new-generation, cobalt-free, LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery that is designed for high reliability, safety and performance and increased power density. With its unique design BYD has achieved a benchmark standard of safety with electric vehicle and lithium batteries. The company has tested the battery in various conditions that include hot & cold weather, over charging, short circuiting, crushing, bending and even nail penetration! None of the aforementioned conditions has put the battery in an unsafe state. This eliminates the risk of serious fire or even explosions in case of accidents. BYD has released the testing videos online to prove its efficiency.
Safety is not the only aspect the battery sets a benchmark in. With a single charge, the e6 gets a range of 500 Kilometres, according to the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) standards. This was a number that was previously unachievable in a passenger, LFP battery car. After testing the car for over 100 kilometres, in city and on the highway, with the air conditioning running, there was over 80% of battery still available. This terminates the basic problem of range-anxiety, when it comes to purchasing an electric vehicle. With the new blade battery, the cost of owing a vehicle will significantly decrease, when compared an ICE and the ever-increasing fuel prices.
Charging time has also been significantly reduced, now requiring only 90 minutes for a full charge. The blade battery is compatible with multiple kilowatt chargers. The DC 60-kilowatt, fast charger delivers a full charge in 1.5 hours. And the AC 40-kilowatt charger delivers the same in two hours. Finally, the e6 is also compatible with the 6.6-kilowatt and the 3.3-kilowatt home chargers, that deliver full charge in a slower rate.
DRIVING EXPERINCE
The next-gen e6 is designed on the comprehensive e-platform. The e-platform integrates the most important electric power train components and the brand-new design and technology has significantly reduced weight, optimized efficiency and improved the overall driving experience. According to the company, ‘the next gen e6 has been improved in every single way possible, reimagining the EV of tomorrow.’
The driving experience for the new e6 has been inspired by the philosophy of using technology to optimize and achieve a better experience. The electric motor offers instant torque off the line and delivers a smooth linear throttle response. The 71.7kWh lithium iron phosphate battery sends 95hp, 180Nm to a single electric motor, allowing for a 130kph top speed. However, a speed-limiter would be integrated when released for commercial purposes. The transmission is a hyper-quiet, smooth single speed, eliminating the need for gear shifts. Both in the city and on the highway, the car felt smooth and the running turn radius was short and crisp. This would be a resourceful aspect, specially for on Indian roads.
The chassis for the next-gen e6 has been developed by the chassis design guru, Heinz Keck. It features Mc-Pherson struts in the front and a Multi-Link air suspension, giving the e6 absolute precise control and agility. In EVs, NVH is far more challenging. Thanks to BYD’s state-of-the-art NVH laboratory, this challenge has been tackled, offering smooth and quiet experience at all speeds. At high-speeds, the car showed close-to-no-vibration and zero vibrations during idling. BYD’s EMC laboratory ensures compliance in every major auto market in the world. The e6’s braking system is featured by Bosch IPB (integral power brake), that has extremely fast response times and smooth linear braking feel. The key highlight in the vehicle, are the regenerative brakes, that are capable of harvesting power from as low as 2 kmph.
AVAILABILITY AND WARRANTY
For the next-gen e6, the company is set to offer a vehicle warranty of three years/1,25,000 km, battery cell warranty of eight years/5,00,000 km and a motor warranty of eight years/1,50,000 km. BYD India, currently, has planned to launch the e6 only in eight cites – Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Chennai. The all-electric MPV will be priced at Rs 29.15 lakh and for an additional Rs 45,000, the company will also provide a 7kW charger.
