In 1899, the fastest car in the world was electric. It was a famous racing supercar, La Jamais Contente (The Never Satisfied), built and raced by Camille Jenatzy. It is believed that he named the car not after his wife, but because the car’s lead-acid batteries always needed recharging.
The Never Satisfied was the first to achieve the coveted 100km/h speed milestone. It was equipped with two 25kW motors, running at 200V and drawing 124 amps each, delivering about 67hp to the rear wheels through chain drives. The car’s bullet- shaped body was made from aluminum. The 750kg battery comprised 100 2V cells connected in series. At full speed, the batteries ran out of charge in approximately 23 minutes, justifying the vehicle’s name.
125 years later…
In striking contrast to The Never Satisfied, the first electrical supercar launched in 2024 by the world’s largest EV manufacturer BYD – the Yangwang U9 – comprised four motors of 240kW for each wheel, resulting in a total system output of 1,536hp, making the U9 one of the most powerful sports cars ever built.
In March 2025, BYD unveiled a much more powerful ‘track’ version of the car. The power of each motor was increased to 555kW, giving a combined output of 3,018hp, twice as high as the original U9. With such power, the track U9 can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in less than two seconds. The motors have an unusually high rotation velocity, running at 30,511rpm. Such speed is more common for turbochargers and high- efficiency blowers. BYD engineers have successfully met all challenges associated with the motors’ high rpm, such as vibration, reliability of bearings and step-down gear reducers required to drive the wheels.
Like all BYD vehicles, the U9 uses a Blade-type battery. The 800V, 80kWh battery pack can accept 500kW charging power, allowing it to reach 80% state-of- charge in 10 minutes. Weighing 2,500kg, the U9 has about 1.2hp/kg specific power, in the same ballpark as Formula-1 racing cars. According to BYD, the maximum range of the U9 is about 450km at street legal speeds.
On 14 September 2025, the U9 supercar set a new global electric vehicle (EV) top-speed record of 496.32km/h (308.4mph) at the Automotive Testing Papenburg track by German professional driver Marc Basseng, who also set the previous global EV speed record in 2024. After completing the run, Basseng said, “Last year, I thought I’d peaked. I never expected to break my record so soon — but here we are, at the same track, with new technologies that have made it possible.”
A brief e-supercar overview
To give our readers a broader perspective of modern electric supercars, it’s worth mentioning that Croatian Rimac’s first supercar Concept One, with over 1,200hp and speeds of 100km/h in less than 2.5 seconds. The second Rimac supercar, the 1,877hp Nevera, reduced the time to 1.9 seconds.
Tesla Model S Plaid is the world’s fastest production EV capable of 100km/h acceleration in 2.1 seconds and a top speed of 322km/h. Its three electric motors are rated at over 1,000hp.
Lotus’s foray into EVs started with supplying Tesla with its Elise chassis in 2008. However, this was not without a hitch, as Musk stated that, “using a Lotus Elise chassis to build the Tesla Roadster was a super dumb strategy”, as only the windshield, the dashboard, the front wishbones, the rear-view mirrors and the removable soft top were carried over from the Elise.
Lotus joined the EV club with its electric Evija supercar. In good Lotus tradition, Evija was remarkably light for an EV, with a curb weight of 1,680kg. Its four traction motors of 1,972hp provided a power-to-weight ratio of 1.17, which was slightly lower than that of the BYD track U9.
Other electric supercars worth attention are the 1,100hp Hispano Suiza Carmen and the 1,877hp Pininfarina Battista, to name just a few.
Mercedes-AMG has recently unveiled the CONCEPT AMG GT XX with liquid-cooled axial-flux- motors and batteries. The liquid- cooled motors with combined 1,360hp have almost three times higher specific power than typical air-cooled motors. The 800V battery pack is comprised of 3,000 cells. The battery uses cylindrical NMCA cells with claimed energy density exceeding 300Wh/kg, much higher than Tesla’s 240Wh/kg. Two CONCEPT AMG GT XX vehicles broke 25 performance records by covering 5,479km in 24 hours at an average speed of 300km/h.
A second-generation Tesla Roadster with some mind- boggling performance projections will be unveiled soon.
The first-generation Tesla Roadster was unveiled as a concept in November 2017. It boasts an impressive acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in 1.9 seconds, a top speed of 400km/h, and a quarter-mile time of 8.8 seconds. As if that was not enough, Tesla wants to reduce its acceleration time to one second, thus setting a new international record. The Roadster’s 200kWh battery will enable 990km of range, driven at street-legal speeds. The above performance data have not been field-proven yet.
Stay tuned, as we further discuss Tesla’s corporate performance, which seems less impressive than the performance of its supercar!
Something more practical
Let us slow down from high- speed supercars to more practical econocars for everyday driving. History shows that building affordable yet exciting small electric cars is not a simple undertaking. The same is true for gas-engine vehicles. For instance, Detroit’s automotive industry never mastered the skill of making small cars attractive to the public, leaving the field to European and Asian manufacturers.
BYD is one of the makers of the most popular small cars. For instance, it has recently unveiled the Dolphin Surf EV, positioning it as a European “future-oriented high-tech small car” Initially, BYD will ship these cars from China, but later, they will be built at its factory in Hungary.
The Dolphin’s drive train
All BYD electric vehicle platforms are based on its trademark Blade battery technology. In contrast with the more prevalent NMC cathodes in EV batteries, BYD uses cathodes based on lithium- iron-phosphate (LFP), which do not require nickel, manganese, or cobalt, making them safer and less expensive.
The BYD battery cell acquired its ‘Blade’ name due to its atypical 10-to-1 aspect ratio, resembling a sword blade. A Blade cell ( Table 1 ) measures 946 x 85mm. The main feature of the Blade battery pack is its optimised architecture aimed at reducing the EV’s overall weight and volume. The Blade technology exemplifies the company’s out-of-the-box approach to developing safer and less expensive EV batteries– and automobiles with those batteries. BYD introduced the Blade technology in 2020, claiming safety, range, longevity and cost advantages.
Tesla’s cylindrical 4680 cell is based on NMC-811 chemistry, enabling a rated gravimetric energy density of 241Wh/kg and a volumetric energy density of 643Wh/l. In contrast, the BYD Generation-1 Blade cell shown in Table 1 has energy densities of 166Wh/kg and 448Wh/L – much lower than Tesla’s. The data came from a Fraunhofer Institute study.
According to CarNewsChina.com, BYD’s second-generation Blade cell will have an energy density of up to 210Wh/kg, bridging the gap with NMC cells.
Thinking out of the box to diminish the handicap of the LFP chemistry, BYD has focused on its battery pack design and integration into an EV using a holistic approach. For instance, in contrast with the typical battery pack consisting of cells assembled into modules, BYD engineers developed a much lighter and compact module-free battery pack. Furthermore, they made the battery pack work as a structural component of the EV– thus substantially increasing its volumetric and gravimetric energy densities.
Also, due to the high heat dissipation rate, the Blade pack has reduced cooling requirements compared to other EVs. BYD’s holistic design allows it to use a battery pack cooling plate as a vehicle’s floor. Another crucial advantage of the Blade battery pack is its low internal resistance, contributing to BYD’s EVs’ high efficiency. The striking result of BYD’s battery technology’s effectiveness is that its EVs attain ranges similar to, or better than, those of NMC- based EVs.
Competing for supremacy
BYD and Tesla are the most prominent EV manufacturers competing for dominance in the rapidly evolving EV market. The crucial difference in these OEMs’ automotive technologies is their propulsion batteries, which use different chemistries for their cathodes. NMC and LFP cells are a world apart, as the latter’s energy density markers are so low that LFP was not even considered for EVs before BYD got into the game with its Blade technology.
The following narrative provides information about the current state of BYD’s and Tesla’s EV technology, emphasising their batteries, drivetrains and verified ranges. It focuses on the BYD and Tesla EV technologies to demonstrate the viability and good commercial perspectives of LFP battery packs for automotive propulsion.
Tesla and BYD are two of the world’s largest electric car brands, but which is the winner? This battle concerns not just EVs but battery technologies for charging networks, software and global supply chains.
British Consumers’ Association subsidiary, Which? , has tested numerous BYD and Tesla EVs, rating them for everything from performance to practicality, helping British consumers choose the best goods.
The BYD brand has seen rapid growth in sales in the UK, with six models being offered. Tesla currently offers the Model3 and the Model Y, the most popular EVs in the UK. The Model 3 was the world’s bestselling EV in 2024.
Comparing BYD Seal and Tesla Model Y
The BYD Seal and Tesla Model Y, circa 2024, are vehicles of a similar breed, having comparable body sizes, battery capacities and driving ranges. BYD’s motor power of 347hp is nearly identical to Tesla’s 342hp. BYD weighs 2,147kg, and Tesla, weighing 1,756kg, is about 18% lighter. Having the same aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.32, the weight-to-horsepower ratio is the decisive factor for vehicles’ dynamics and energy consumption.
The average energy consumption of a Tesla is 14.2kWh/100km, whereas BYD consumes 20.5kWh/100km. In typical Tesla fashion, its 0– 100km/h acceleration is a mere 5.6 seconds, while BYD takes a long 9.6 seconds. This is why some drivers enjoy Tesla more than BYD. The max speeds are not remarkably different; Tesla’s max speed is 201km/h, while BYD’s max is 175km/h. Both vehicles look similar and are available with many optional features as standard. Both EVs claim long driving ranges – in the ballpark of 323 miles.
Warranties
In the UK, all BYD cars come with a six-year/93,750-mile warranty, significantly longer than most other car brands. Tesla cars come with a four-year/60,000- mile warranty.
As with most EV brands, both offer eight-year battery warranties (with a minimum 70% battery retention). All BYD batteries are covered for 125,000 miles, while the mileage limit for Tesla cars is 100,000 to 150,000 miles, depending on the model and version.
Which car is better?
Both cars are equally as good, showing similar driving ranges; however, Tesla uses less energy per 100km and has better acceleration, making driving more fun. BYD’s higher weight is explained by the lower energy density of its LFP batteries. Despite all of the achievements of the BYD Blade battery pack technology, it is still lagging behind Tesla’s NMC battery pack.
The cost of the BYD battery cells is lower than that of Tesla, but the final price of the BYD Seal is only £1,688 less expensive than the Tesla Model Y. The cost of batteries alone cannot explain this price difference, as numerous other factors contribute to the total tally.
To further complicate the story, Tesla recently unveiled a new Model Y Performance variant with more power, a revised chassis and a sportier design. The new drivetrain enables acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in 3.5 seconds and a drive range of 360 miles. The battery pack of the new Tesla comprises improved NMC cells capable of up to 84kWh of usable energy. At the same time, energy consumption is reduced to 16.2kWh/100km.
In a perpetual tradeoff of vehicle features, the safety of BYD batteries may compensate for the lacklustre dynamics of BYD vehicles, whereas the propensity for fires in NMC batteries may give Tesla’s owners some sleepless nights.
In a historic shift, BYD sold 11,123 EVs across 14 European countries in July 2025, as opposed to Tesla’s 6,253 units, marking a pivotal moment in the region’s automotive landscape. BYD’s growth outpaces Tesla in major markets, as shown in the recent sales breakdown by country.
“Tesla’s weakness is not primarily due to the political behaviour of its CEO, but rather to the fact that Tesla’s lead has shrunk significantly in recent years due to the entry of Chinese competitors”, said former Volkswagen CEO, Herbert Diess.
Tesla’s current challenges
Tesla’s sales have declined by 62% in the UK, 45.9% in Germany, and 36% in Spain There are signs of Tesla’s product stagnation as the Model 2 has not yet been launched, and the Cybertruck suffers from a lack of demand.
Tesla faced heavy criticism of its recently published Master Plan Part 4, which does not explain how to achieve such goals as moving from expensive sports cars to affordable models. Tesla had initially planned to produce a new compact model, less expensive than the Model 3, but Elon Musk halted this project in favour of the Robotaxi, which undermined the impact of the Master Plan.
Critical points of Tesla’s 4680 cells
Tesla is a major producer of its NMC-based 46mm diameter by 80mm long cells. As Tesla changed its vehicle roadmap and ramped up its in-house 4680 cell production, it announced that it would no longer buy them from the Korean LG Energy Solution (LGES) battery maker, one of the first developers of 4680 cells, despite LGES’s existing production capacity sufficient to supply over 100,000 Tesla EVs.
LGES had been Tesla’s key battery supplier, whose batteries are used in most Tesla EVs, and now it has been caught with no new orders from Tesla. Compelled to find new buyers, LGES had recently made a deal with Mercedes-Benz.
Also, Tesla’s demand for 4680 cells has declined recently due to the Cybertruck’s plummeting sales. Tesla already produces more 4680 cells than it needs.
A glance at other technologies
LIB is today’s dominant commercial technology. NMC- based cathodes are used in most commercial EV batteries, even though cobalt is a toxic and strategic material, which is this chemistry’s Achilles heel.
LFP-based cathodes are a viable alternative to NMC, with a crucial advantage of eliminating Co and Mn in their chemistry. The tradeoff is their lower energy density. However, in the Blade2, BYD managed to reduce the gap between NMC and LFP to a mere 8% difference on the cell level. The BYD Blade battery is based on LFP chemistry.
Lithium Nickel Manganese Oxide (LNMO) cathode material eliminates the need for cobalt. Renault, an ardent supporter and developer of this technology, expects to commercialise it by 2028. This chemistry combines the energy density of NMC with the cost and safety of LFP, and offers recharge times of less than 15 minutes.
Solid-state batteries promise to considerably reduce, if not eliminate, the conventional LIB’s fire susceptibility. These batteries are still in development, some in advanced stages. Another crucial advantage of solid-state batteries is their considerably higher energy density than conventional LIBs due to the substitution of graphite in their anodes with lithium metal. The latter has significantly higher specific capacity than graphite.
LIBs with silicon anodes: Silicon (Si) is a second – after lithium metal – energy-dense anode material rapidly developing and reaching the advanced stages of commercialisation. There are blended technologies with various ratios of Si and graphite, typically from 5% to 30%. Recent developments with a 100% Si content promise significantly improved energy densities and fast charging capabilities.
BYD surpasses Tesla in manufacturing
BYD outperformed Tesla in manufacturing capacity due to its extended history and larger employee base. BYD operates several vehicle production facilities with tens of gigawatthours of battery production capacity, allowing it to manufacture and sell hundreds of thousands of EVs annually. BYD is a top-selling global EV brand due to sales in China. However, according to Reuters, BYD has reduced production in response to slackening demand in China. Although BYD’s global sales rose slightly in August, they fell for the fourth consecutive month in China by 14.3%. With four out of five cars sold in China, BYD depends on its home market to meet its 2025 target of 5.5 million EVs.
Although performance and other benchmarks differ, some general trends for BYD and Tesla are similar. Both companies are making highly efficient EVs, enabling them to achieve driving ranges comparable to vehicles with an internal combustion engine. Both are diligently working to improve their batteries’ energy density, life expectancy, and maximum safety despite their electrochemical limitations.
Conclusion
Car races have been a traditional test of the viability of automotive technology. The latest achievements of BYD, Tesla, Mercedes-AMG, and other supercars unequivocally prove the maturity and competitiveness of EVs compared to their ICE rivals. The factors impeding EVs’ global proliferation are not as technological as they are geopolitical and dependent on the availability and cost of electricity for recharging. Most EV enthusiasts believe that the challenges are not insurmountable and that EVs will be ubiquitous.
