BYD’s premium Denza brand will launch the all-electric Denza N8 on Nov. 12 in China, with a claimed 623-mile CLTC range and a five-minute fast charge. The five-seat luxury SUV is aimed at buyers who want a three-row-sized footprint without a third row. Pre-orders have already been open for weeks.
Save more, waste less: The Cool Down’s newsletter sends smart, simple changes that help you and the planet in your everyday life.
We may earn a commission if you sign up.
Both marquee numbers are claims rather than independent test results. The range comes from regulatory filings, and the charging time comes from BYD. The CLTC cycle used in China is more generous than the testing American drivers see, so the real-world figure will be lower, and the charging speed depends on dedicated high-power stations that few drivers outside China can reach.
Range figures from the MIIT filings
Electrek reported that filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology revealed two BYD Blade 2.0 battery options. The larger 130.15 kWh pack is rated for up to 1,003 km, or 623 miles, on the CLTC cycle. A 105.79 kWh pack is rated at 800 km, about 497 miles, so the shorter-range version still clears what most American EVs deliver on a cycle of their own. The same 623-mile figure was the combined CLTC range of the plug-in hybrid N8 that the new model replaces. Electrek’s earlier report on the filings first put the number in front of American readers, and autoevolution covered the large pack in detail.
Flash Charging in five minutes
BYD’s latest Flash Charging system is the second marquee claim. Electrek says the SUV can charge from 10% to 80% in about five minutes and from 10% to 97% in about nine. Denza describes it as five minutes for a usable charge and nine for near full, and says charging time rises by only three minutes at temperatures as low as minus 30 Celsius, per CnEVPost. The pairing of a pack above 130 kWh with that charge rate implies enormous power draw, which is why the claim hinges on BYD’s own station network rather than a standard public charger.
Single-motor and tri-motor versions
Two powertrains are planned. A rear-drive version uses a single motor rated at 320 kW (429 hp) or 370 kW (496 hp). The all-wheel-drive version rides on BYD’s e3 platform with a 270 kW front motor and two 310 kW rear motors, adding up to a combined 890 kW, or 1,193 hp.
The body measures 5,150 mm long, 1,999 mm wide and 1,820 mm tall on a 3,075 mm wheelbase, which Electrek says is slightly longer than the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. Inside are a 30-inch infotainment screen, a 43-inch panoramic head-up display, zero-gravity seats and roof-mounted LiDAR for BYD’s God’s Eye 5.0 assistance system. Denza adds DiSus-A air suspension.
Orders, price and timing
Denza general manager Li Hui said pre-order results have been excellent and called the car definitely the most anticipated luxury SUV of the year. Orders opened Oct. 26, as Electrek covered then, with a 2,000 yuan deposit (roughly $200) unlocking a 5,000 yuan credit. Context from China matters when reading the numbers. The CLTC test cycle is lenient, and ranges rated under it commonly translate into noticeably smaller figures under the EPA procedure used in the United States. Denza has not announced plans to sell the N8 EV outside China, so the comparison is mostly academic for American shoppers today. It still shows where competitors are heading on pack size and charge rate, which affects the prices and specifications of vehicles that do reach Western markets.
The tri-motor car is the performance standout. A combined 890 kW in a five-seat SUV that is slightly longer than the Kia EV9 puts it in territory once reserved for supercars, and the rear-drive variants at 320 kW and 370 kW would be quick by any ordinary standard. Whether buyers want that much output in a family-sized luxury vehicle is an open question, and the launch pricing will reveal how aggressively BYD is chasing the segment.
Denza also faces a history lesson. The original plug-in hybrid N8 was discontinued within a year of its 2023 debut, and the nameplate returns now on a different powertrain, joining the six-seat N8L in the lineup. Electrek ties the return to strong pre-order interest. Sales success in the first months after the Nov. 12 launch will show whether the second attempt sticks.
No price has been announced. Electrek expects the N8 EV to cost slightly less than the extended N8L, which starts at 299,800 yuan, about $45,000. The launch event is set for 7 pm Beijing time at BYD’s Pingshan headquarters in Shenzhen, according to CnEVPost, with sales expected in November. The open question is whether the final price lands below the N8L as expected and whether the tri-motor version arrives at launch or later. Electrek also reports that Denza expects sales to begin in November, so deliveries could follow within weeks of the event. The smaller 105.79 kWh pack and its 800 km rating suggest BYD may offer a cheaper configuration beside the flagship, though no trim list has been published.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
Save more, waste less: Subscribe to The Cool Down →
We may earn a commission if you sign up.
More from Morning Overview
- Long use of a common prostate pill is tied to a higher chance of glaucoma
- Ford is recalling 223,472 F-150 pickups because the fuel tank can leak or detach
- Hybrids have 15% fewer problems than gas cars, while EVs and plug-in hybrids have about 80% more, Consumer Reports finds
- Regulators cleared the first U.S. small modular reactor, 4 months early
