- The BYD Han L sedan and Tang L both have 160-liter front trunks, or "frunks."
- Without an engine to account for, electric vehicles can offer novel packaging options like front storage containers.
- BYD claims they're the world's biggest, but a couple of America's EVs would like a word.
Okay, BYD: So you make a car capable of 1,000-kilowatt charging that adds 250 miles of range in five minutes, and it comes in plug-in hybrid form, and it'll do zero to 60 mph in under three seconds. Great. But how's the front trunk?
Well, it turns out that's pretty spectacular too. It seems like this pair of electrified vehicles can do almost anything.
While in China this past week, I made a point of seeking out BYD's pair of ultra-fast-charging EVs, the Han L sedan and Tang L crossover. Those are the cars that can use BYD's new Megawatt charging system to add 250 miles of range in just five minutes, with peak charging speeds of 1,000 kilowatts. (If you need context, that's four times the max charging speed of a Tesla Model Y and Model 3.)
I can tell you that both look rather unassuming in person; the Han L looks a bit Honda Accord-ish to me, and the Tang L has anonymous, Grand Theft Auto-car vibes.
Under the skin, both are remarkable EVs boasting some of the world's most cutting-edge tech. The EV versions come with a 83.2 kWh BYD "Blade" battery rated between 373 miles (601 km) and 436 miles (701 km) of range on China's optimistic CLTC testing cycle.
As is the case with many Chinese cars, the plug-in hybrids don't skimp on battery size either; they get a 29.4 kWh BYD Blade battery mated to a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine and are rated at 870 miles (1,400 km) of total range.
Impressive specs all around. So how's the frunk? Well, reader, I can safely report it's big. Very big, in fact.
Both cars share a trunk that comes in at 160 liters, or 5.6 cubic feet, or 42.2 liquid gallons. It's quite voluminous, especially for a sedan and a fairly midsize crossover.
The sheer depth of these frunks (they are the same on the crossover and the sedan) is what impressed me most. You could easily fit an entire Costco-grade haul of groceries in this thing. In fact, a person who's small enough, and maybe does a good amount of yoga, could squeeze in with the lid closed.
Now, BYD claims that this is the world's largest frunk. Respectfully, I beg to differ. The new Onvo L60 SUV, from Nio's affordable-minded EV brand, comes in at 8.4 cubic feet (240 liters) of storage space—supposedly the largest in China, according to CnEVPost.
And here in America, both the Lucid Gravity and the Ford F-150 Lightning have bigger frunks at 8 cubic feet (227 liters) and 14 cubic feet (400 liters), respectively. The Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV both offer 10.7 cubic feet, and the Hummer EV gets up to 11.3 cubes. Sure, America can't match China at battery technology, but we have them beat on the storage space of our large EVs.
So while a big frunk may not be the signature achievement of BYD's new L models and E-Platform, it is a nice net benefit to an otherwise extremely advanced vehicle that already does a lot well. I got to drive both the Han L and Tang L while in China, so check back soon for even more updates on these cars.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
