Test drive report BYD Han: Guardian of the Dynasties

Han also – BYD has intentionally named its large models Tang and Han after Chinese dynasties. While they don't aim to dominate the D or E segments immediately, they do want to make a statement. In the case of the Han, with a 380 kW electric motor (equivalent to 517 hp in the old currency, putting it alongside the AMG versions of the Mercedes-Benz EQE), 700 Nm of torque, and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. All of this for around 73,000 euros gross, placing the Han right next to the base-equipped EQE 350 4MATIC with 215 kW, but about 3,000 euros more than the Nio ET7.

What do you get for that? An elegant limousine, with design overseen by BYD's chief designer Wolfgang Egger, who once worked as chief designer at Alfa, Seat, Lancia, and Audi. Naturally, nothing could go wrong there – inside and out, the Han comes across as pretty premium, although it combines several familiar design elements: the door panels with speaker grilles are reminiscent of the E-Class, the instruments of BMW, and the large dashboard area in front of the passenger seat ensures presence in the Skoda Kodiaq, with the diamond-stitched pattern adding a Bentley flair. This rather tasty buffet of quotations is something Egger might want to replace with a finely tuned menu of his own in the next generation, as he has already done with the Atto 3 and Seal. But it misses its effect: We take a seat and feel: Premium!

Low drag coefficient of 0.23

The wide seats offer plenty of space and have real leather on the seat surfaces, and there is enough legroom in the rear, although headroom is a bit limited above 1.85 meters. Here, the flowing rear end, which also contributes to the drag coefficient of 0.23, costs some vertical space. As a result – similar to the Mercedes-Benz EQE and NIO ET7 – there was no room for the hinges of a large tailgate. Instead, there is a rather modest 410-liter compartment under the rear lid given the car's exterior length. Up front, the second electric motor operates – much like BMW, we briefly remove the cover and find that there is no room for a frunk.

This also applies to the crisp and direct driving behavior: steering and suspension are pleasantly firm, and the nearly five-meter-long limousine drives more agilely than the Nio ET7. Even rough road bumps are well absorbed. The Han also debuted the iron phosphate blade battery here, offering a capacity of 85.4 kWh and supposedly higher temperature resistance than conventional lithium-ion batteries, which should positively impact charging time and battery life, and are also said to be crash-resistant and pass the nail test without risk of fire or explosion. Additionally: you could (theoretically) replace individual "blades" if they were defective. That’s why BYD offers up to eight years (standard) and 200,000 kilometers of warranty – by then, the battery should still retain 70% capacity. The consumption was not very commendable at a frosty five degrees: the display reported a steady 26.2 kWh/100 km net, which would be a rather ample 29 kWh/100 km considering charging losses – however, this was with good heating and "sloppy" driving, quite often using the acceleration reserves, which you can be grateful for now and then in the dense Amsterdam city traffic.

From 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds

Fast driving? 0 to 100 km/h if needed within 3.9 seconds – although it’s limited to 180 km/h. Fast charging? Somewhat: according to BYD, with up to 120 kW of charging power, you can go from 30% to 80% charge in about 30 minutes. However, and also due to the somewhat digital starting, you can feel that the Han has been on the market for three years: even in the "strong" recuperation mode, which is not that strong, it takes a barely noticeable millisecond delay before it slows down. This "blending" when braking and starting has been entirely imperceptibly smoothed out in the Atto 3 by BYD. Above many doubts is the navigation system in both cars, which constantly and clearly reports and quickly adjusts the route if needed.

Amsterdam's Taxi Drivers Show Unusually High Interest

Those who choose the "Emerald" Edition get seats with green stitching along with ample suede look and tech-plastic surfaces instead of wooden applications. All of it is also well-crafted. The "value" seems to fit, at least according to the current interest from Amsterdam's taxi guild: They like to drive electrically, tested Tesla eagerly, were rather unimpressed with its quality, could not quite warm up to the EQE, and are now, according to marketing manager Mike Belinfante at Pieter Braaiweg 8 in Amsterdam, passing the baton: BYD has its showroom there for the largest city in the Netherlands. If the Han manages to make it into the taxi industry in larger numbers, it would certainly be a small but significant triumph for the dynasty of BYD's top model.

What Does That Mean?

One can see how quickly electromobility is developing by looking at the Han: It reinforces its premium ambiance and performance with high-quality craftsmanship and interesting technology, but it is no longer leading in all respects – yet given what it offers, it could still dare to have a bit more of its own character – it certainly has the potential for it.