BYD Song Ultra completes 2,700-mile trip

BYD said on May 20 that its Song Ultra EV completed a 4,395-km, or about 2,730-mile, drive along China’s G30 Lianyungang-Khorgos Expressway, which the company described as the first full run of the route by a pure electric vehicle. Electrek, citing BYD executive Lu Tian, reported the SUV reached Kaifeng, Henan, after a trip that began on May 16. The test was presented as a demonstration of BYD’s latest battery and charging system rather than an independently verified endurance record. The route stretches from Lianyungang in eastern China to Khorgos on the Kazakhstan border, according to company-linked coverage. ### What exactly did BYD say it proved on this drive? Lu Tian, identified by Electrek as general manager of BYD’s Dynasty series, said the Song Ultra EV completed the full G30 route after BYD launched the drive event on May 16. Electrek reported Tian said “no pure electric vehicle has yet completed a full journey on it,” framing the result as a first for the expressway. (electrek.co) CarNewsChina reported on May 16 that BYD had formally kicked off the cross-China drive with a convoy leaving Lianyungang and heading west along the G30. That report said the event was designed as a large-scale long-distance test of BYD’s new charging network and battery system. (electrek.co) ### How much of this story is about charging, not just distance? BYD has tied the Song Ultra EV closely to its flash-charging push. CnEVPost reported when the model launched on March 26 that all trims use BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery and that the vehicle can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes under normal temperatures, reaching 97% in nine minutes. BYD says that rises to 12 minutes at minus 30 degrees Celsius. (carnewschina.com) BYD’s broader charging pitch predates this trip. In a March 2025 company release, BYD said its Super e-Platform uses a full-domain 1000V architecture and can deliver peak charging power of 1 megawatt, or 1000 kW. Chairman Wang Chuanfu said at that launch that “the ultimate solution is to make charging as quick as refueling a gasoline car.” (cnevpost.com) ### What do we know about the Song Ultra EV itself? CnEVPost reported the Song Ultra EV starts at 151,900 yuan, about $21,980 at the exchange rate used in its report, and is sold as a mid-size electric SUV. The model uses a rear-mounted single motor with maximum output of 270 kW and offers two CLTC-rated range versions, 605 km and 710 km. (byd.com) Electrek reported the motor output as 362 horsepower, equivalent to 270 kW, and said the vehicle is offered in four trims priced up to 179,900 yuan. The report also said the battery pack choices are 68.4 kWh and 82.7 kWh. ### Was this a one-off stunt, or part of a bigger rollout? Electrek reported BYD had deployed 5,979 flash-charging stations across 312 Chinese cities as of May 15, citing company figures. (cnevpost.com) The same report said BYD plans to begin rolling out the stations in Europe and other overseas markets later in 2026. (electrek.co) CnEVPost separately reported that BYD plans to expand its flash-charging stations to overseas markets by the end of 2026. That gives the Song Ultra trip a role as a live demonstration tied to infrastructure expansion, not only to one vehicle launch. ### How has the market responded so far? Electrek reported the Song Ultra EV received more than 10,000 orders in its first week and reached 61,240 orders in its first month on the market. (electrek.co) Earlier, CnEVPost said the vehicle had secured 21,586 pre-orders during its 20-day pre-sale period before the March 26 launch. (cnevpost.com) BYD’s next named step is overseas infrastructure expansion by the end of 2026, according to CnEVPost and Electrek. In China, the company is continuing to build out flash-charging stations after saying it had 5,979 sites operating as of May 15. (electrek.co)