Understanding bYD’s flash charging Qin Max sedan goes on sale in China for under $15,000

• The BYD Qin Max is the flagship of the Qin family, available in EV and DM-i versions.
• The launch is a key step in BYD’s efforts to revive one of its main lineups, whose sales have halved this year.

BYD (HKEX: 1211) officially launched its new B-segment sedan, the Qin Max, on Thursday, with prices starting at 99,900 yuan ($14,720) and going up to 143,900 yuan for the top version.

The vehicle comes in a DM-i plug-in hybrid version and an all-electric EV version, with nine variants in total. The DM-i version is priced from 99,900 yuan to 129,900 yuan, while the EV version ranges from 109,900 yuan to 143,900 yuan.

The Qin Max is the flagship of BYD’s hot-selling Qin family, positioned above the Qin L and aimed mainly at younger consumers.

It measures 4,866 mm long, 1,880 mm wide and 1,495 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,820 mm, all slightly larger than the Qin L.

Its trunk offers 523 liters of space, expandable to a maximum of 1,450 liters, and the cabin has 27 storage compartments.

The EV version comes standard with the second-generation BYD Blade Battery and flash charging technology, and BYD is offering one year of free flash charging.

Flash charging is BYD’s name for its ultra-fast charging technology. The company unveiled a new generation of the technology in March this year, with peak single-gun power of up to 1,500 kW.

Vehicles with the second-generation Blade Battery can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes, and from 10% to 97% in just nine minutes, according to BYD.

The EV version has a motor with peak power of 240 kW (322 hp) or 120 kW, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in as little as 5.8 seconds, and offers CLTC range of 530 km or 630 km.

The DM-i version pairs a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine with a 175 kW motor, delivering 320 km of all-electric range and 2,370 km of combined range on a full tank and a full charge.

BYD said the model consumes 2.59 liters of fuel per 100 km under NEDC conditions when the battery is depleted, the lowest in its class.

Variants equipped with the LiDAR-based God’s Eye B support urban and highway navigation assist as well as all-scenario parking assist.

BYD has pledged to cover parking-related losses and to provide one year of coverage for urban navigation assist. The vehicle also comes with a built-in AI agent called Didi Xia.

The Qin Max launch is a key step in BYD’s efforts to revive one of its main lineups.

Qin series sales were 661,090 units in 2025, making it one of BYD’s best-selling lineups and accounting for 14.36% of the group’s total, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

The lineup has weakened significantly this year. July sales were 13,117 units, down 75.67% year-on-year, while sales for the January-July period were 162,291 units, down 50.55%.

With the Qin Max, the family now has three models on sale, the other two being the Qin Plus and the Qin L.

BYD has been rolling out new models at a rapid pace recently. It launched the 2027 Seal 06 sedan from its Ocean lineup on August 11. Earlier today, its Fang Cheng Bao sub-brand launched a lower-priced Tai 3 version, cutting the model's entry price.

BYD July sales jump 21.8% as overseas deliveries hit fresh record - CnEVPost

BYD sold 419,211 NEVs at wholesale in July, up 21.76% year-on-year, the third consecutive month of annual growth.

BYD

Aug 1, 2026

($1 = 6.7888 yuan)