BYD’s superfast EV charger, Honda’s electric crossover, Porsche works with ITE to train technicians

BYD supercharges EV charging

Chinese car and battery manufacturer BYD has unveiled its second-generation blade battery technology along with a unique charger that can displace electrons up to 1,500kW through a single connector. A five-minute charging session is enough to fill up a battery from 10 to 70 per cent.

The latest blade battery is 5 per cent more energy-dense than the existing generation, translating to an operating range of up to 1,000km, under the Chinese energy consumption test standard.

The technology has also been rigorously tested, including with a thermal-runaway test, where four cells were simultaneously short-circuited without resulting in any fire or explosion, even when the temperature exceeded 700 deg C.

BYD already has more than 4,200 chargers in China that can dispense electricity at 1,500kW, and plans to have 20,000 such chargers by the end of 2026.

To overcome grid limitations, the chargers are equipped with energy storage systems which serve as an energy reservoir to prevent overloading the grid, and also function as a power amplifier to enable the high charging speed.

The first BYD model to be equipped with the latest-generation battery and be capable of such high-speed charging is the Denza Z9GT.

Currently, Singapore’s national charging standard is capped at 500kW. The fastest publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charger in Singapore is rated at 480kW, supplied by Chinese technology company Huawei.

Honda’s second Chinese EV

The Honda Insight, a four-door petrol-hybrid saloon last sold in 2015, has been reinvented as an electric crossover. Developed under a partnership between Honda and its Chinese partner Dongfeng, the new Insight is larger than the Toyota Harrier.

Under the bonnet is a 150kW battery connected to the front wheels. A 68.8kWh battery gives it a range of 530km.

The electric car is badged as the e:N2 in Thailand, offered alongside the e:N1. The latter is a smaller sport utility vehicle that looks similar to the HR-V, but not mechanically related to the popular petrol-powered car.

Porsche partners ITE

Porsche Asia Pacific is working with ITE to train automotive talent in the fields of electrification, digitalisation and advanced automotive technologies.

To help with the training, Porsche is providing a Macan EV, along with other EV-focused equipment, and co-developing curriculum modules with ITE.

In the press statement on March 9, Porsche said the collaboration outlines a five-year map to equip students and educators with the relevant technical and digital skills while also aligning closely with Singapore’s transition to electrification.

Among the initiatives being proposed are internship opportunities at Porsche in Singapore, as well as industrial attachment programmes in the brand’s regional facilities like the assembly plant in Kedah, Malaysia.

Mercedes’ limo MPV

The electric Mercedes-Benz VLE has up to eight seats, air suspension and more than 700km of driving range.

In VLE300 form, the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) has a 115kWh NMC battery, which can gain up to 355km of operating range with 15 minutes of high-speed charging.

The cabin features Mercedes-Benz’s latest MBUX operating system, complete with a 31.3-inch panoramic screen at the back for entertainment and video-conferencing.

Up front, the driver has a head-up display with augmented navigation technology. The driver sees a virtual 23.1-inch image, which provides vital driving-related information.