BYD Just Revealed a $44,000 Sedan With 626 Miles of Range

Range Still Sells EVs, and BYD Wants the Biggest Number

Range still rules the EV world. Sure, public chargers are popping up everywhere, but they're not exactly on every corner like gas stations. That means every extra mile between plug-ins is still worth its weight in gold for buyers.

That said, BYD's new flagship sedan touts impressive range figures even before its official debut. According to documents from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the all-electric BYD Da Han – also called the Great Han – packs a 102.3-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery.

The headline? A claimed 626 miles of range (1,008 km) on some rear-wheel-drive versions, at least according to the CLTC test. Other RWD models dip to a still-impressive 603 miles (970 km) on the same cycle.

China's MIIT

A Battery That Weighs Nearly 1,600 Pounds

If those numbers sound wild, that's because they are. For context, the Lucid Air Grand Touring – currently the range king tested by Car and Driver – gets an EPA rating of up to 512 miles, and managed 410 miles in their real-world 75-mph highway run.

Of course, all that range comes at a price – namely, a battery the size of a small elephant. The MIIT filing says the Da Han's 102.3-kWh pack tips the scales at 1,600 pounds (725.9 kg). That's over 30 percent of the car's total weight, CarNewsChina reports.

The rear-wheel-drive Da Han weighs between 4,982 and 5,126 pounds (2,260-2,325 kg) and uses a single 496-horsepower electric motor. Go for all-wheel drive, and you get a beefier 764 hp, a heftier 5,523-pound (2,505 kg) curb weight, and a slightly shorter CLTC range of 510 to 547 miles (820-880 km).

Size-wise, the Da Han stretches 206.9 inches long with a 123.2-inch wheelbase. For reference, that's about 2.6 inches longer than a standard Mercedes-Benz S-Class. This thing is not small.

Surprisingly, BYD's battery isn't even the biggest out there. The upcoming BMW iX5 60 xDrive is set to use a 141-kWh battery (usable capacity, according to EV Database), and the Lucid Air Grand Touring gets by with 118 kWh for its class-leading EPA range. The real heavyweight champ? The GMC Hummer EV, packing a monstrous 205-kWh battery – and paying dearly for it on the scales.

Chinese reports peg the Da Han's starting price at around 300,000 yuan, or about $44,300. Not exactly pocket change, but not S-Class money either.

China's MIIT

Remember That 626 Miles Isn't an EPA Figure

Before you start stacking the Da Han up against EVs sold in the US, it's worth taking a closer look at how those range numbers are actually measured.

That 626-mile figure? It's from China's CLTC testing cycle, which is known for being a bit more generous than the EPA standard used in the US. The CLTC test uses lower speeds, softer acceleration, and conditions that make EVs look their best. So, CLTC numbers usually come in higher than what you'd see from the EPA. BYD isn't fudging the numbers – they're just playing by a different rulebook.

Until the Da Han gets an EPA rating or someone puts it through a real-world test, it's anyone's guess how much of that 626-mile headline will actually show up on American roads – if at all.

Still, these numbers show where the EV world is headed. Batteries keep getting bigger, range anxiety keeps shrinking, and automakers are now battling for the biggest bragging rights on the spec sheet – not just scraping past 300 miles anymore.