BYD blade vs Model 3 battery teardown finds Tesla engineering superior in a dubious comparison

In an apples to oranges comparison, the BYD blade battery pack of its Han sedan has been torn down and measured up to the 2170 battery of a Tesla Model 3. The teardown expert concludes that Tesla's 2170 battery that is installed in its performance sedan versions, rather than the base Model 3 with LFP cells, is built superior as it has better cooling and sealing. They also found it way easier to repair.

The innovative blade battery architecture of Tesla's main competitor BYD, however, is a way to house cells with different chemistry in the chassis as an integral part of an EV body, rather than an actual chemistry advancement. It is more akin to the structural 4680 battery pack that Tesla now installs in the Texas-made Model Y, rather than the standalone Model 3 battery.

While the teardown found BYD's blade battery full of adhesive and hence not really prone to individual cell  or module replacements, the same can be said for the Model Y's structural 4680 pack. It was recently torn down and found impossible to repair as it was stuffed full of adhesive as well. Just as the BYD blade battery, it is not built in modules that can be individually replaced like the Model 3 battery given for comparison here.

The other Tesla battery engineering advantage that the teardown experts from China give - the metal instead of plastic housing - could also be due to the fact that they are comparing an integrated structural battery pack that is lighter and cheaper to make, with higher volumetric density, to a regular standalone battery.

When it comes to the cooling solution, however, the BYD blade vs Model 3 battery packs comparison may have a point. According to the lead below, Tesla's coolant flows through the battery and takes heat away more efficiently than BYD's surface cooling which they liken to touching one's face with cold water bottle on a hot day, instead of drinking it. Still, again that may not be the case on the Texas 4680 Model Y as it uses the cells as support structure and fills the gaps between them with very strong adhesive, too.

On an unrelated note, BYD and other Chinese EV makers are increasingly challenging local bloggers for unfair defamation posts and videos aimed to rack up views, and succeeding in court, so it will be interesting to follow if there will be any such reaction to the video below as well.

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