Electric vehicles (EV) have reached unprecedented levels of popularity in recent years, thanks to lower prices and tempting incentives like number-coding exemption in Metro Manila.
Other advantages of breaking free from fossil fuels include lower running costs (even with our country’s electricity rates), cheaper maintenance costs (fewer parts) and the satisfaction of contributing absolutely nothing to pollution caused by tailpipe emissions.
But there is one other thing about EVs that add to their appeal – they offer comparatively stronger performance for a whole lot less money. That’s because electric motors produce all of their power the moment you mash the accelerator pedal.
No waiting for a torque band. No turbo lag. Just get up and go.
This is what BYD Philippines sought to prove on Tuesday with its first-ever “Overdrive” event at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Cavite. The Chinese carmaker brought along its two most powerful models – the BYD Han large executive sedan and the BYD Tang seven-seater crossover.
Both are powered by dual electric motors, one on each axle, for a combined output of 508 horsepower and 700 Newton-meters of torque. The Han comes with an 85.4-kWh Blade Battery pack that can provide a claimed WLTP maximum range of 521 kilometers, while the larger Tang has a 108.8-kWh battery with claimed WLTP maximum range of 530 kilometers.
Totally controllable
Our first exercise of the day involved a soapy billboard, some cones and the Tang.
It was simple enough – boot the gas from a standstill and negotiate a chicane, all while driving on a surface that feels like you’re wearing a pair of socks on a polished wood floor. On my first run, instructor and racing legend Stefan Ramirez told me to keep it at half-throttle all throughout,
which resulted in truly unspectacular progress thanks to the excellent stability-control system.
For my second heat, Stefan told me to aggressively work the throttle so that the car starts sliding around. This resulted in inevitable wheelspin and understeer, but even with this highly dramatic driving style, the Tang got through without ever feeling like it would careen into my fellow journalists taking photos and videos.
Overall, the Tang demonstrated incredible controllability for a vehicle with more power than the all-new Ford Mustang that I tested at Clark International Speedway last week.
Smile-inducing acceleration
Next was the acceleration test – floor it from the starting point and let go of the accelerator some
50 meters down the line. Although this would seem unremarkable in most internal-combustion engine vehicles under P15 million, the Han sure left me stupefied after hitting around 90 km/h in that bitty little space.
As a racing driver, I’m used to the strong G-forces from hard acceleration. But there really is something truly breathtaking about getting all that power instantly.
Perhaps it was that feeling of being so “drunk” with power that left a smile on all our faces when we stepped out of what was effectively a two-ton luxury sedan with air-conditioned massage seats, a moonroof and a 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
So much for so much less
And so, the grand finale. BYD Philippines got a Chevrolet Camaro V6, a Porsche 911 Turbo S and a Radical SR1 racing car for a 200-meter drag race with the two EVs. The company claims a 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds for the Han and 4.9 seconds for the Tang.
In the end, the Tang made easy work of the Camaro, while the Han was able to fend off the SR1, which had to do a rolling start because of its chain-drive system. But the Han’s battle with Stuttgart’s finest are what really caught everyone’s attention.
The BYD had the obvious advantage at launch, but the Porsche’s lighter weight just helped it pull ahead at the halfway point, crossing the line with a two-car gap. This was reiterated when the Han took on the surprise entry of a 992 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, owned by YugaTech’s Carlos Divino.
The bright-orange sports car finished just ahead in an exciting showdown. But given that the sleek, black executive sedan could even keep up with a car that costs seven BYD Hans – that speaks volumes about where these silent EVs can take performance cars of the future.
