BYD declines to comment on Xiaomi EV unit’s rumored selection of Blade batteries

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Responding to a request from local media outlets, BYD declined to comment on a recent rumor saying it had been chosen as a battery supplier to Xiaomi's electric vehicle unit ("Xiaomi EV") as it had no information to be disclosed.

Some local media channels reported this week that Xiaomi EV had decided to adopt CATL's Qilin batteries and BYD's Blade batteries on its electric vehicles, citing people with knowledge of this matter.

It is reported that Xiaomi EV had planned out a 400V basic version and an 800V top-spec version for its first EV model. To be specific, the LFB batteries from FinDreams Battery, the power battery unit of BYD, would be installed onto the basic version, while the top-spec one would carry CATL’s Qilin batteries.

BYD's Blade battery; photo credit: BYD

BYD announced the launch of the Blade battery in March 2020. The innovative LFP battery was launched to mitigate consumers' concerns about battery safety in EVs and features increased space utilization through the design that makes singular cells arranged together in an array and then inserted into a battery pack.

BYD had started supplying Blade batteries to Tesla’s plant in Germany, and the first batch of Tesla Model Ys equipped with BYD batteries were expected to roll off the assembly line at Giga Berlin in a month at the earliest, a media outlet reported on August 10.

BYD has not commented on the information yet.

CATL launched its third-generation CTP (cell-to-pack) battery technology, namely Qilin battery, in late June this year.

Thanks to the innovation in chemistry and structure, the Qilin battery can lift the battery system energy density to 255Wh/kg, according to CATL. It will be mass produced at CATL's Lighthouse factory next year.