BYD Vice President Yang Dongsheng speaks at a launch occasion for the Denza N7 electrical SUV on July 3, 2023, in Beijing.
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BEIJING — Chinese language electrical automobile large BYD is launching a brand new electrical SUV, its most direct competitor but to Tesla’s Mannequin Y.
BYD’s Denza model stated Monday night it acquired greater than 20,000 pre-orders for its N7 all-electric SUV, and introduced a worth vary of 301,800 yuan to 379,800 yuan ($41,680 to $52,452).
That rivals Tesla’s Mannequin Y, whose newest costs vary from 263,900 yuan to 363,900 yuan, based on the corporate’s China web site.
The Denza N7 is ready to start deliveries in about two weeks, based on the corporate.
“The Denza N7 is aimed squarely on the premium midsize crossover section whose competitors consists of the Tesla Mannequin Y and the Nio ES6,” stated Tu Le, founding father of Beijing-based advisory agency Sino Auto Insights.

“Denza has actually been beneath the radar for just a few years however BYD is able to showcase its rejuvenated model and the media blitz factors to their confidence within the product and their need to maintain strain on the incumbents,” he stated.
Throughout Monday’s hour-plus launch occasion, BYD confirmed clips of native automobile media’s optimistic critiques whereas doing check drives.
A livestream of the occasion had almost 2 million views on Weibo alone, the Chinese language Twitter-like platform. That’s far above the 200,000 views {that a} Nio automobile launch livestream drew in late 2021.
In one other web page from Nio’s playbook, the Denza N7 launch in Beijing was adopted by a reside music efficiency.
Mercedes-Benz Group has a 10% stake within the Denza model. Its prior electrical mannequin, the D9 multi-purpose automobile, claims greater than 10,000 gross sales a month since since March. That automobile is out there in Thailand, and is ready for launch in Hong Kong, Macao and Europe, a model consultant stated Monday, with out sharing dates.
Tech options
From quick battery charging and in-house driving help tech, to an array of in-car leisure, the Denza N7 launch confirmed off options in stiff competitors with what Nio, Tesla and different main gamers in China’s electrical automobile market provide.
“Denza N7 is the primary luxurious SUV to penetrate the market of BBA,” a slide on the launch occasion learn in English, referring to the trio of high-end German manufacturers Benz, BMW and Audi.
In an in-person presentation Monday, Denza’s basic supervisor of gross sales, Zhao Changjiang famous the N7’s knowledge privateness options like impartial chip storage and the flexibility to show off cameras.
The Denza N7 additionally claimed to come back with an augmented actuality head-up show — which makes use of AR tech to undertaking info digitally over the highway in entrance of the motive force. Sure fashions embrace BYD’s new shock absorption technology for smoother rides, which home rivals have but to promote.
Yang Dongsheng, vp of BYD, touted driver-assist expertise utilizing Qualcomm chips and Nvidia Orin, which is often utilized in assisted driving techniques. Orin isn’t affected by the U.S. bans on Nvidia’s gross sales of extra superior chips to China.
The automobile cockpit additionally join with the Android smartphone working system, Yang stated.
For younger people who find themselves used to cell phones, in-car connectivity techniques are extra enticing than driver-assist expertise, Craig Zeng, CFO of on-line automobile info and buying web site Autohome, stated in an interview final month. That is based on a CNBC translation of his Mandarin language remarks.
On the time Zeng stated he anticipated competitors in China’s new power automobile market would transfer into the 400,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan worth vary and above. The 100,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan worth vary has been the first worth vary for automobiles in China, Zeng stated.
New power autos embrace hybrid-powered automobiles.
Electrical automobile market grows
The Denza N7 SUV launch comes as main electrical automobile startups noticed a jump in June deliveries after current softness. Nio climbed again above 10,000 month-to-month deliveries, whereas Xpeng topped 8,000.
Li Auto, whose automobiles include a gasoline tank to cost the battery and lengthen its driving vary, reported greater than 32,000 automobile deliveries for June.
For context, Tesla bought about 42,500 automobiles in China in Could, based on the newest figures accessible from the China Passenger Automobile Affiliation.
BYD stays the enormous out there and stated it sold 128,196 battery-powered passenger automobiles in June, up 84% from a 12 months in the past.