Denza – a joint venture between Daimler and Chinese company BYD – has unveiled its first-ever model with the Beijing Auto Show.
The all-electric model was first previewed as a concept at the same motor show in 2012, and is a result of arrive in Chinese showrooms from September this current year.
While the concept was called ‘NEV’ (New Energy Vehicle), the production version has only been referred to as Denza by its co-creators at this stage.
The Denza in road-going form will give you up to 300km of cover anything from its 47.5kWh battery, with the electric motor producing a peak output of 86kW and 290Nm.
Battery charging is reported to be “highly flexible”, with charge times ranging from seven hours to below one hour, based on the method chosen.
A dedicated “wall box” for battery charging can be installed at the owner’s home or business, and Denza offers a smartphone app for owners to remotely check into their EV’s charge-level, or perhaps to contact their local dealer.
In addition, a joint venture with technology group ABB is aiming to establish the world’s largest charging infrastructure in China by 2020.
Using Chinese electricity prices, the cost of driving 100km has been estimated at AU$3.51.
The Denza holds five passengers and provides 460 litres of boot space, while standard equipment for the entry-level ‘Lifestyle’ model includes 18-inch alloy wheels, leather seats and an eight-inch touchscreen.
The upmarket ‘Executive’ version adds a premium music system, Xenon headlights and satellite navigation.
The EV is expected to be offered through BYD dealers initially, with three dedicated Denza dealers – one each for Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai – ready to go by the center of next year.
Denza has established 11 service centres and a 24-hour phone support service for now, and it wants to add three more dealers to the tally soon.
Chinese authorities will chip in up to AU$20,702 of the price through incentive programs., even though pricing for the Denza starts at AU$63,660
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