Aside from their zero emissions, electric cars are known for their quickness. The instant delivery of power to the wheels makes them a new option for those with a need for speed. Some of them are even pitting EVs against performance cars.
BYD wants to prove that their offerings aren’t just for straight line speed. They invited us over for some activities with the Han sedan and Tang SUV—members of the Dynasty EV range to see how they will fare in some simulated emergency situations.
The first activity was a full wet linoleum test with the BYD Tang (the second such test we have encountered in a Chinese brand this week). This is unlike in other drives where we had where only one side of the car is on the wet surface and the other on dry pavement. This time, the whole run was done on a wet surface with the car starting there too. The assistants even poured soapy water on the wheels before we started.
The BYD Tang has an all-wheel drive system run by two electric motors. One in front, one at the back that puts out 244 and 271 horsepower, respectively (yes, they have different ratings for the front and back) while torque is standard at 350 Nm. With those numbers, it seems like the BYD Tang would be hard to control once let loose on the wet surface, but it proved otherwise.
The initial kick of the power was instant but the traction control was quick to control the wheelspin, to maintain control of the car. It didn’t have a problem making 2 turns even without braking.
For my second run, I floored the throttle to see how the SUV would react. The first turn was reminiscent of a Moose Test as I didn’t brake before turning. The Tang still turned quickly, but recovery for the second turn was a bit wide because of the wet surface. It also acted like a rear-wheel driven car as it straightened out once I blipped the throttle once more. It’s probably why BYD opted to have more output in the rear motor.
The surprising thing about the BYD Tang is despite its size and height, it has minimal body roll. It was so stable that it greatly helped in allowing me to make the right steering inputs in an emergency situation.
Of course, BYD Philippines still gave us what we really wanted—a brief flat out experience in the low-slung Han. I’ve driven EVs before, but nothing compares to having all this power in a car closer to the ground. The BYD Han has the same power figures as the Tang but because of its smaller body, it has faster acceleration (3.9 seconds vs 7.3 seconds). The Han went 0 to 60-plus km/h in such a short distance, it seemed like I pressed the nitrous in a Fast and Furious movie. Everything was just a blur until I passed the cones and I had to lift my foot off the gas.
BYD Philippines even took things a notch higher by pitting the Han and Tang against some juggernauts in a drag race. First was the BYD Tang against a Chevrolet Camaro that the EV simply left behind. They then had a Formula V1 car against the BYD Han. This one is a bit more exciting as they were neck and neck until the halfway mark—that’s where the Han’s higher peak power allowed it to leave the Formula car behind.
It was a simple day drive to basically showcase the BYD Han and Tang in a different setting. They’ve been going around in the country proving that they are just as fun to drive in the twisties, and even reached Baguio and back to BGC without recharging to debunk range anxiety concerns.
For this one, it showed that BYD did their homework in making a car. It’s easy to design one that looks good. So too is putting in powerful electric motors, nice leather, and tech amenities. What’s not on the spec sheet is just how stable and secure it drove particularly in an emergency situation. Here, BYD definitely checked that box.
Text and Photos by Vincent Villa
The only thing that bothers me in EVs are the EMFs their batteries release while youre driving. And youre sitting on top of it.
ReplyDeleteSee? That's what you call a package car! From quality, design, performance and more! The only thing a typical rabid filipino can criticize about this brand is the country where it came from.
ReplyDeleteBecause the Philippines only has a problem with China since the Spratly Islands dispute happened circa 1990s or 2000s, then if I explain that if a single Filipino were to embrace a carmaker that's honestly unsual for the Philippine market like Peugeot - which is from Europe (France) and its deeply far from Asia-Pacific as Italy (Fiat) - therefore it would take a lot of time for ordinary Filipinos to learn about Peugeot and Stellantis (in which Peugeot is part of) just as the aforementioned people were doing the same thing with European movies, European food, European celebrities, European music, European fashion etc..
DeleteAnyway, I even learned how South Korea manages to substitute Japanese cars for European ones - as those kind of vehicles running in South Korean roads - and I even find the fact why SoKor is doing it because European products (like cars) are not even prone to emotional panic unlike products from Japan, since the latter is a country that took responsibility for colonizing the whole Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. (But to the idea of embracing Peugeot in the Philippines then I think the only problem for that is because of the distributor or even the level of spare parts when Peugeot cars are already decommissioned so maybe the only solution to capitalize Peugeot in PH is to have Stellantis acquire Mercedes-Benz for example.)
Byd has good products, other china car brands here has been all air and proven not of good quality.
DeleteI honestly think that I'm right with such an opinion like that, especially if you look at Sweden's Volvo marque in the quality survey in US for example then the reliability of Volvo vehicles since the carmaker was sold by Ford to Geely in 2009-2010 means they (Volvo products sold in US and Canada) are sincerely considered as they went downhill just as the cars of the Swedish automaker's previous parent company - Ford. Especially to the irony that Geely is selling well, but I also realize that Geely also has had partnerships with Mercedes-Benz so while Geely already inked a joint venture with Renault to develop internal combustion engines - what I mentioned about Stellantis (Peugeot) taking over Mercedes-Benz in both ways (financially and mechanically) would explain that rest of Stellantis doesn't even have much presence in Southeast Asia (for ex. Thailand and Philippines) than Geely and/or Benz. (However the majority of cars sold by latter in ASEAN are bulky and old-school products in comparison to that of Peugeot for being small, agrarian and modern hence Benz cars are RWD and Peugeot cars being FWD.)
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