BYD faces 100,000 order backlog

BYD said demand for its latest fast-charging electric vehicles has outpaced production as orders climbed past 100,000 for one new model and more than 61,000 for another. Electrek reported on May 20 that the Chinese automaker’s Datang, a three-row electric SUV, had exceeded 100,000 preorders ahead of launch, while the Song Ultra EV reached 61,240 preorders in its first month. The report said BYD Chief Executive Wang Chuanfu had acknowledged that demand for vehicles using the company’s new battery and charging system had exceeded production capacity. The backlog has put attention on whether BYD can scale output as quickly as it has scaled headline charging claims. ### Which models are driving the order surge? The Datang is BYD’s flagship three-row electric SUV under its Dynasty line. Electrek said the model drew more than 30,000 orders in its first 24 hours after preorders opened at the Beijing Auto Show in April, and later passed 100,000 preorders, citing Lu Tian, general manager of BYD’s Dynasty series. CarNewsChina separately reported the 100,000 figure on May 7 and said the model was scheduled for a first-half 2026 launch. (electrek.co) The Song Ultra EV is the second volume test of the new platform. Electrek said the SUV went on sale on March 26 starting at 151,900 yuan, or about $22,000, and received more than 10,000 orders in its first week before reaching 61,240 preorders in one month. That gives BYD two separate models showing early demand for the same charging architecture rather than a single one-off launch. (electrek.co) ### What is BYD claiming on charging speed? BYD said in March that its next-generation Blade Battery 2.0 and Flash Charging system could add charge far faster than current mainstream EV systems. Electrek reported the company said vehicles using the system can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes, from 10% to 97% in nine minutes, and from 20% to 97% in 12 minutes after sitting for 24 hours at minus 30 degrees Celsius. The same report said the chargers can deliver up to 1,500 kilowatts. (electrek.co) CNEVPost reported the Datang uses a 1,000-volt architecture and BYD’s second-generation Blade battery, with peak charging power of up to 1,000 kilowatts in that model. The company has tied those specifications to long-range positioning as it pushes larger and higher-priced EVs in China. ### Why is production becoming a bottleneck? Wang Chuanfu said demand for vehicles equipped with the new battery and flash-charging system had exceeded BYD’s production capacity, according to Electrek. (electrek.co) The report said the same strain was showing up across multiple BYD brands, including Fang Cheng Bao and Denza, where the company has also begun rolling out models using the new charging technology. (cnevpost.com) CarNewsChina, cited by Electrek, said local dealers had told customers the Datang’s official launch was pushed back to June 8 because of stronger-than-expected demand. That suggests the bottleneck is affecting launch timing as well as delivery schedules. ### How much charging infrastructure has BYD built? BYD said that as of May 15 it had deployed 5,979 flash-charging stations across 312 cities in China, according to Electrek. (electrek.co) The company is also offering 18 months of free charging for many customers who preorder eligible new models, the report said. Those station numbers matter because BYD’s sales pitch depends on matching vehicle launches with its own high-power charging network. (electrek.co) Electrek’s report tied the current order surge directly to models carrying the new battery and flash-charging system. ### What happens next? June 8 is the date dealers cited for the Datang’s official launch, according to CarNewsChina as referenced by Electrek. (electrek.co) BYD’s next test will be whether it can convert the preorder surge into deliveries while continuing to roll out flash-charging stations and additional models under Denza and Fang Cheng Bao using the same battery system.