"Wang Chuanfu, BYD's CEO, barely slept for weeks after a tragic incident where a battery ruptured, leading to the deaths of three passengers. He was determined to understand the failure mechanism."
"The team lost equipment, prototypes, and months of iteration during their research, but they did not lose the data. Each failed cell became a valuable lesson in physics."
In February 2026, a demonstration at BYD's visitor center showcased the dangers of traditional battery cells. A standard ternary nickel-cobalt-manganese cell detonated upon puncture, highlighting the risks associated with battery technology. Following a fatal incident in 2012 involving a BYD battery, CEO Wang Chuanfu led a rigorous eight-year research and development effort to understand and eliminate failure mechanisms in battery cells. This process involved extensive testing, data collection, and learning from failures to enhance safety and reliability in battery design.
Read at Fast Company
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