Hongqi becomes first brand outside BYD to use Blade Battery 2.0

Hongqi, the premium brand owned by FAW Group, has been confirmed as the first marque outside BYD to use the second-generation Blade Battery, or Blade Battery 2.0, after the FAW-FinDreams joint venture project entered a phase of stable mass production.

Carnewschina reported on Thursday, citing information from Jilin TV, that the company is pushing forward with the integration of second-generation Blade Battery technology into Hongqi vehicles.

This step marks an important milestone because Blade Battery 2.0 and Megawatt fast-charging technology have so far been used exclusively on BYD vehicles.

This means Hongqi has the potential to become the first brand to gain access to these two technologies outside BYD’s product range.

The FAW-FinDreams project itself is a joint venture between FAW Group and BYD with a total investment of 180 billion yuan.

The factory is designed in three phases with a total capacity of 45 GWh, with 15 GWh for each phase.

The first phase of the project reportedly required an investment of 70 billion yuan and began operations in February 2024.

Meanwhile, the second phase has entered an acceleration process, including contract signing and a groundbreaking ceremony.

If all phases become fully operational, the facility is projected to be capable of supplying batteries for nearly 600,000 vehicles per year with an annual production value of around 200 billion yuan.

For FAW, the move is part of a strategy to accelerate the transition towards new energy vehicles as the market for internal combustion engine cars begins to shrink.

FAW is not only partnering with BYD but also with CATL in battery development, investing in Leapmotor, and using batteries from BYD and CATL in the Hongqi E-QM5.

With the introduction of Blade Battery 2.0 to Hongqi, the cooperation between FAW and BYD now has the potential to reshape the competitive landscape of China’s battery technology—from being solely a BYD weapon to a technology that other manufacturers are beginning to vie for.