BYD addresses range anxiety

One reason why electric cars are not marketable, aside from their high retail prices, is range anxiety.

 

In emerging markets like the Philippines, there are very few electric vehicle (EV) charging stations – only 19, to be exact.

 

The absence of an EV charging infrastructure causes range anxiety, which results in a vicious cycle whereby few people would consider buying battery-charged vehicles, car companies hesitate to include EVs in their lineup, and infrastructure builders wait for massive purchases of EVs before investing in charging stations.

 

But a company in China, where EVs have been adopted more rapidly than any other country in the world, has an answer for range anxiety.

 

BYD (Build Your Dreams) is not only the world’s largest manufacturer of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), with 250,000 units sold in 2018, it is also one of the biggest battery suppliers in the world. In fact, BYD began as a battery manufacturer before it ventured into EVs. Today, one in every five smartphones in the world is powered by BYD batteries.

 

In September 2013, BYD opened a distributorship in Manila with Solar Transport and Automotive Resources as its partner and exclusive distributor.

 

At present, BYD Philippines’ best-selling PHEV is the Tang SUV (505 HP, up to 50 km per liter fuel consumption) although it retails at P3,328,000.

 

CHARGING OPTIONS.  So why is the BYD Tang so expensive?  Mark Tieng, managing director of BYD PH, explains that when a customer buys a BYD PHEV like the Tang, the vehicle comes with two charging options.

 

First option is the 1.3kW onboard charger that plugs into any 220 volt socket.  It will charge the PHEV from zero to 100 percent in six to eight hours. A small portable gadget, the 1.3kW onboard charger can be brought by the BYD car owner with him when he/she drives.

 

The second option for BYD PHEV customers is the Fast Charger, a 3.3kW 220 volt charger with a power requirement equivalent to a 1.5 hp window type air conditioner. The Fast Charger has to be physically installed and connected by a licensed electrician. It can be installed in the garage or carport at home or office building and will charge a BYD PHEV from zero to 100 percent in two hours.

 

Those who acquire a pure electric BYD BEV are given two charging options.

 

The first option is a 7kW 220 volt Level 2 charger that must be physically installed and connected by a licensed electrician.  Its power requirement is equivalent to a 2.5 hp air conditioner and it will charge a BYD BEV from zero to 100 percent in eight hours.

 

Second option is a 40kW 380 volt Level 3 charger that must be physically installed and connected by a licensed electrician.  Its power requirement is a 3 phase source.  It will charge a BYD BEV in two hours.

 

Tieng says that for BYD BEV owners, the 7kW charger is good enough as it charges while the owner rests or works. The 40kW charger is meant for commercial BEV owners who operate a fleet of taxicabs or delivery vans.

 

He adds that even if many public EV charging stations are built, for BYD EV buyers the primary charging method will still be done privately, at the owner’s home or office.  The public charging stations will just be a secondary charging point.

 

LITHIUM ION VS NICKEL METAL HYDRIDE. BYD EVs are equipped with lithium ion, iron phosphate batteries that can go up to 4,000 cycles, Tieng says. A BYD battery is safe, stable and has a long life, making it one of the best battery choices for electric cars.

 

Nickel metal hydride batteries, on the other hand, are old technology and used for children’s toys. Although it is rechargeable, a nickel metal hydride battery has a much lower life cycle than lithium ion.  The cost of producing it is lower, making it easier to own initially, but within two to three years during the ownership of the vehicle, it will need to be replaced, depending on usage.

 

Incidentally, BYD has graduated from, and no longer manufactures hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) like the Toyota Prius.

 

SHIFT TO EVs. Tieng said he looks forward to seeing more and more e-jeepneys plying our roads under the PUV Modernization Program. “The government now is taking charge of pushing more and more awareness of EVs through its programs,” he observed. “Government plays a primary and very important role in this shift to EVs. As long as it is part of the government’s priority program, it will make progress.”

 

He pointed out that EV battery prices have gone down significantly in the last five years. As demand and production increase, the economies of scale make it more efficient to produce batteries, thereby reducing the cost per kWh. “A lot of car companies now have committed to ramp up their electric car development, partnering with BYD. Toyota is one of the new partners of BYD,” Tieng revealed.

 

Summing up, Tieng said: “We believe that the future of mobility is really electric vehicles, that is why our group partnered with BYD early on.  BYD produces both PHEVs, as well as pure electric vehicles. The benefits of EVs are not only limited to savings from monthly gas expenses and preventive maintenance costs, but also the experience of driving it. EVs have zero emissions, zero noise, zero vibrations, and instant power, greatly reducing driving fatigue especially in traffic.”