The China-made BYD Han EV is often compared to the Porsche Taycan in terms of specifications, but a recent series of moose tests shows that it leaves too much to be desired in peak performance and handling to come anywhere close to the Porsche.
The battery-powered sedan tested was five meters (16.4 feet) long and had two electric motors sending 517 PS (510 hp / 380 kW) to all four wheels. It was riding on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, which are admittedly excellent for sudden obstacle evasion tests. The regenerative brake system was allowed to run in its normal mode, meaning that the car reacted to the release of the accelerator pedal pretty much like any traditional ICE car would.
Starting with a slalom test, the crew of km77.com criticized the BYD Han for excessively sharp throttle response and increasingly bad tail-waggling. With the rear end of the car getting more and more out of control, the driver could not pass the slalom course fast enough – his best result was 23.9 seconds, quite a long shot from the 21.5 seconds of the otherwise comparable Porsche Taycan GTS.
At the moose test, the Han suffered from significant understeer and could not avoid hitting cones at the required speed of 77 km/h (47.8 mph). The driver ultimately barely managed a clean run at 70 km/h (43.5 mph).
The crew concluded that, despite its high technical specifications and exceptional tire quality, the BYD Han had no place calling itself a sports car or even a well-handling one, at that.
