BYD used this year’s IAA Transportation show in Hannover to showcase a number of new commercial EVs, headlined by its flagship electric HGV, the ETT 44, marking the company’s entry into the European eHGV market. The new tractor unit faces a big job taking on established electric trucks from Volvo Trucks, Scania, MAN Trucks, and more.
BYD’s flagship electric truck brings 1.5 MW charging and a ten-year battery warranty to the table
The 4×2 model of the ETT 44 will have a 44,000kg gross combination weight powered by an electric motor with a peak power figure of 98 horsepower. That’s paired with a 651kWh battery based on BYD’s in-house ‘Blade’ technology, offering a claimed range of around 372 miles. The battery itself is backed by a 10-year, 1.2-million-kilometre warranty as standard, notably longer than the typical European market, where base vehicle warranties usually run to two or three years and battery cover to six or eight years, often only available as a paid extra rather than standard.
Charging can take place via CCS2 at up to 420kW, taking the battery from 20 to 80% in 60 minutes or less, while support for the Megawatt Charging System raises those speeds to over 1.5MW, cutting down charging time to under 20 minutes.
Pricing for the ETT 44 is yet to be confirmed, but with the battery warranty already looking more competitive than the ones offered on European rivals, it’ll give established brands something to think about.
BYD isn’t the only manufacturer plotting a fresh entry into the European eHGV market, with Tesla set to bring its Semi electric truck to the region soon.
Stella Li, Executive Vice President of BYD, commented:
“We have already put FLASH Charging into practice in passenger vehicles. Today, we are bringing this technology to commercial vehicles, starting with our trucks. With 1.5 Megawatts of charging power, it can charge from 20% to 80% in about 20 minutes – delivering up to 248 miles of range. Less time charging. More time on the road.”
