A photo of the exterior of BYD’s new 8-series Tang SUV. Credit: BYD
- A BYD executive previewed the electric 8-series Tang SUV, which is expected to launch in the second half of this year.
- The 8-series Tang is a 5-seat mid-to-large-size SUV and will form a dual-flagship lineup with the 9-series Da Tang EV launched last month.
BYD (HKEX: 1211) on Friday previewed the 8-series Tang, a new member of its Tang family, saying the model will offer an all-electric range of more than 800 kilometers.
Lu Tian, general manager of the new energy vehicle (NEV) maker’s Dynasty lineup, shared 2 exterior images of the 8-series Tang on Weibo. He described the vehicle as a mid-to-large-size SUV (sport utility vehicle) and the “king of large 5-seat SUVs” for families focused on quality.
The model will complement the 9-series Da Tang EV launched last month, a full-size SUV with a large 7-seat layout aimed at business users and larger families.
Both the 8-series Tang and 9-series Da Tang feature class-leading technologies and will jointly reshape the Dynasty lineup’s flagship nameplate, Lu said.
The 8-series Tang was included earlier this month in the latest batch of new-vehicle filings released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It is expected to officially launch in the second half of the year.
Regulatory filing information shows that the vehicle measures 5,045 millimeters in length and 1,980 millimeters in width, with a wheelbase of 2,950 millimeters. It will be offered in 5-seat and 7-seat all-electric versions.
The new model is powered by a permanent-magnet synchronous motor with a peak output of 300 kilowatts, or 402 hp, and has a top speed of 250 kilometers per hour.
Its energy-storage system uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, namely BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery. Combined with the previewed range of more than 800 kilometers, the vehicle may use a high-voltage platform of more than 800 volts and support flash charging technology.
For comparison, the 9-series Da Tang EV is equipped with BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery and flash charging technology, allowing it to charge from 10% to 97% in 9 minutes.
The 8-series Tang preview comes as BYD accelerates efforts to revitalize the Tang family as a flagship nameplate.
The Da Tang EV, launched on June 17, has a starting price of 239,900 yuan ($35,400) and offers a maximum range of 950 kilometers. Its pre-sales orders had exceeded 150,000 units at the time of launch.
The Tang lineup currently includes the Da Tang EV, Tang L and Tang DM-i. Sales of the series have fallen significantly over the past year amid intensifying competition and a lack of major updates.
The Tang series sold 9,282 vehicles in June, down 48.55% year-on-year, despite an increase of 32.68% from May, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
BYD Tang Series Monthly Sales 2024-2026
Month
2024
2025
2026
January
5,211
6,590
5,529
February
5,357
10,075
5,835
March
14,079
10,411
6,634
April
14,176
18,455
7,127
May
15,478
19,012
6,996
June
15,719
18,042
9,282
July
12,056
12,002
August
12,069
8,860
September
12,552
13,620
October
15,003
14,460
November
15,410
13,252
December
16,255
10,129
BYD Tang series monthly sales
2024
2025
2026
Sales of the series totaled 41,403 vehicles in the first half of the year, down 49.87% year-on-year.
At the company level, BYD is emerging from earlier production-capacity constraints. The company sold 403,472 NEVs at wholesale in June, up 5.46% year-on-year and marking a second consecutive month of year-on-year growth.
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($1 = 6.7733 yuan)
