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The Denza Z9 GT is the fastest car in the world, and it’s also the fastest to charge. It’s by no means slow in speed (we’ll get to that), and it’s packed with cutting-edge technology (we’ll get to that, too). But, trust me here, it is Great charging technology BYD has brought here what should keep you hot under the collar.
Many car brands claim that charging times are massaged. Not so with the Denza Z9 GT. I sat in the car and watched firsthand as it went from 10 percent fuel to full capacity in just over 9 minutes. It makes all other EVs look like they’re standing still in this section, and the Z9 GT heralds a new era of electric vehicles that will confound gas believers whose primary argument has always been that you can’t fill up in EVs quickly.
Denza is BYD’s “premium” EV brandhere to upset the likes of Porsche and Polestar, the Z9 GT is its inaugural launch in Europe, aiming to scare the hell out of the Western competition with a heady mix of performance, standard-everything capability like lobster-walking and all-wheel steering, and electric architecture miles ahead of any competition.
Yes, the Z9 GT has all those features, but in a hasty attempt to prove that it deserves to be considered by consumers alongside high-end German automakers, BYD unwisely abandoned its winning strategy of offering more for much less, and here it offers more for much more.
You’re used to seeing the Chinese company seriously undercut the competition, right? Well, hold on to your hat. This Z9 GT costs €115,000 in Europe. That’s roughly $134,000. That’s a staggeringly high price, and goes against one of the core brand values we associate with BYD, and to make matters worse, the same car sells for just £55,000 in Australia, and around £45,000 in China.
How can BYD justify such a huge price hike in Europe? Certainly not possible everyone Blame it on Definitions, shippingOr homologation, dealer networks, or even a commissioned global advertising campaign led by Daniel Craig. I asked BYD, and the only other reason I had for the astonishing price increase was “market context.” This means, quite simply, that BYD believes it can get away with charging more in the EU.
But you can’t price your way into the premium market. Just because you charge the same as a Porsche, doesn’t mean buyers will think of you the same way. It seems that with this scent, in the West, BYD is trying to make its way into this segment of the market without gaining brand value. Trust at this price level is built slowly, and buyers who spend six figures tend to stick with what they know. We will soon see whether this bold or reckless strategy will succeed. And all of this doesn’t even take into account the painful used value that owners of premium electric cars face. The Porsche Taycan could lose half its value in just one year.
Stella Li, BYD’s executive vice president, told me that the “wow factor” of the Z9 GT will prevent the brand from facing the same residual value problems that plague Porsche. I hope I have her trust. However, Lee doesn’t lie about wow. A 309-hp engine on the front axle, combined with twin 416-hp engines at the rear, generates 1,140 hp. It sends you from zero to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds. Top speed is 168 mph. The independent rear wheels mean the car can go very fast, make U-turns instantly, plus a performance park: drive front first, the back follows. The 372-mile range is good but certainly not great, and the same goes for L2+ autonomous driving – but there’s (unsightly) Lidar on the roof for a degree of future-proofing.