BYD Blade Battery 2.0 Temperature Test Controversy Escalates: Blogger Claims Police Report Filed, Neither Automaker Nor Authorities Confirm

The temperature test controversy surrounding BYD's second-generation Blade Battery continues to escalate. On July 30, automotive blogger Cai Shendao posted on Weibo claiming that BYD had filed a police report against him with the Songjiang District Public Security Bureau of Shanghai regarding his earlier fast-charging thermal testing experiment. This incident marks the evolution of a technical dispute — originating in May — into a public matter involving legal and regulatory dimensions.

According to Cai Shendao, he has submitted hundreds of pages of test records and supporting evidence to investigators. As of now, neither BYD nor the Songjiang police have publicly confirmed whether the report has been accepted, formally registered, or triggered an official investigation.

Prior to this incident, the Shenzhen Cyberspace Administration had already imposed administrative measures on the "Cai Shendao" account earlier this month, citing violations under the "Qinglang" (Clean and Bright) campaign. The authority determined that the account disseminated misleading product test information damaging corporate reputation, and accordingly restricted its posting, commenting, and monetization functions. Platforms including Sina confirmed the enforcement action in their reports.

The controversy traces back to a live-streamed test in May: Cai Shendao conducted a fast-charging experiment on the FANG CHENG BAOLeopard 5 (the original text mistakenly referred to "Tai 3"; context and naming conventions confirm it is the FANG CHENG BAOLeopard 5), equipped with the second-generation Blade Battery, charging from 8% to 97%. Five external temperature probes recorded a peak cell-surface temperature of 76.42°C, while the vehicle's Battery Management System (BMS) displayed approximately 71.0°C — a difference of roughly 5.4°C. It must be emphasized that all external probes measured only localized surface temperatures — not internal core temperatures — and do not equate to the system-level monitoring data collected by the BMS.

Subsequently, Cai Shendao's team performed destructive disassembly on a second-generation Blade Battery pack — after freezing it for about 40 hours, they spent roughly eight hours cutting, grinding, and mechanically separating components. Visual inspection revealed 170 cells connected in series, a grid-reinforced structure, and direct cooling design; the full pack weighed approximately 572 kg, with an estimated intra-pack integration efficiency of 73.6%. However, due to damage to structural adhesives, cooling interfaces, and insulation layers during disassembly, the battery no longer reflects its original factory-sealed operational condition.

Following the account restriction, Cai Shendao commissioned the China National Power Battery Innovation Center (Guolian Research Institute) to replicate the fast-charging test under controlled lab conditions. The test vehicle was a four-wheel-drive FANG CHENG BAOLeopard 5 equipped with a 78.72 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Charging proceeded from 7% to 97% in 8 minutes and 32 seconds, peaking at ~1200 A current; external probes recorded a maximum cell-surface temperature of 78.5°C, while the BMS simultaneously read ~70.5°C — a discrepancy of about 8°C. Notably, this lab test also relied on exposed cell surfaces for probe placement — not the fully encapsulated battery pack structure — meaning results reflect localized surface temperatures under modified conditions, not the system-level thermal response in factory-fresh configuration.

On July 31, Cai Shendao released additional screenshots claiming that an entity allegedly representing BYD contacted him on May 5 — the day before the livestream — to discuss commercial cooperation. The authenticity of these screenshots, the identity of the contacting party, and any formal affiliation with BYD remain unverified by BYD, law enforcement, or judicial authorities. Later the same day, Cai cited provisions from China's draft Anti-Cyber Violence Law to allege that BYD is leveraging regulatory and legal channels to suppress independent testing — but no authoritative body has indicated the draft law applies to this case.

As of publication, no court ruling, police conclusion, or official investigative outcome has been released; all key aspects of the case remain unconfirmed.