BYD faces battery crunch

BYD’s push into ultra-fast charging is running into a basic manufacturing problem: enough batteries. The Chinese automaker said on May 15 that battery supply had become tight as multiple new flash-charging models entered production across its BYD, Denza, Fang Cheng Bao and Yangwang brands. Reports in Chinese auto media and follow-on coverage this month said the shortage has contributed to delivery delays and launch adjustments for several vehicles. The pressure comes less than three months after BYD introduced its second-generation Blade battery and flash-charging system on March 5. ### What exactly is BYD short of? Wang Chuanfu, BYD’s chairman and president, said at the 2026 Yangwang Business Research Institute conference on May 15 that the company was facing battery supply constraints as new models ramped up production, according to CarNewsChina. The shortage appears tied to battery packs using BYD’s second-generation Blade platform. CnEVPost reported that Wang said the core issue was BYD’s broad transition from first-generation Blade batteries to the new flash-charging version, leaving production lines in a phase of retrofitting and testing. ### Which vehicles are being affected? BYD has rolled out flash-charging versions across several brands since March. CarNewsChina said recent launches included models in the Dynasty and Ocean lineups as well as Denza and Yangwang vehicles, while CnEVPost reported delivery pressure at Fang Cheng Bao’s Tai 3, Tai 7, Bao 8 and Bao 5 flash-charging editions. Electrek reported on May 20 that BYD’s Great Tang electric SUV had received more than 100,000 preorders and the Song Ultra EV had logged 61,240 preorders within a month. The same report said dealers had pushed the Great Tang’s official launch date to June 8 because demand was higher than expected. ### Why did demand outrun supply so quickly? March 5 was the date BYD unveiled its second-generation Blade battery and flash-charging system. Electrek said the system can charge compatible vehicles from 10% to 70% in five minutes and from 10% to 97% in nine minutes, while BYD has been marketing the technology across a widening group of models. The company has also paired the rollout with an expanding charging network. CarNewsChina reported that BYD had 5,979 flash-charging stations across 312 Chinese cities as of mid-May, and said the company’s flash-charging app had more than 1 million users. ### Are customers already seeing delays? Fang Cheng Bao’s Tai 3 flash-charging edition was launched on March 13 with initial deliveries planned for mid-April, but those deliveries were pushed to May, according to CnEVPost. Xiong Tianbo, general manager of the Fang Cheng Bao division, said her team had been stationed at production bases in Shaanxi, Anhui and Zhengzhou to raise capacity. Xiong said normal deliveries of the Tai 3 flash-charging edition had begun and that mass deliveries of the Tai 7 were expected in early June, with Bao 8 and Bao 5 flash-charging deliveries slated for mid-June. ### Is BYD still expanding while supply is tight? BYD shipped 20.98 gigawatt-hours of batteries in April, bringing cumulative battery shipments for 2026 to 81.2 gigawatt-hours, CarNewsChina reported. The company did not specify in that report how much of the total went to its own EV installations in China. May figures on infrastructure expansion show BYD is still building out the ecosystem around the technology. CarNewsChina said the automaker added 55 flash-charging stations between May 7 and May 14, bringing the network to 5,979 stations nationwide. ### What should readers watch next? June 8 is the next clear date in the rollout. Electrek said BYD dealers had shifted the Great Tang launch to that date, while CnEVPost said mass deliveries for Fang Cheng Bao’s Tai 7 flash-charging edition were expected in early June and Bao 8 and Bao 5 deliveries in mid-June.