Chinese automaker BYD yesterday released its first vehicle equipped with the company's patented blade battery, the Han model. The vehicle is regarded as the major rival to the Tesla Model 3 in China. The company’s shares [SHE:002594] rose 6.83 percent to CNY95.08 (USD13.46) by mid-morning on the release. The BYD Han has three battery electric vehicle models with subsidized prices from CNY230,000 (USD32,848.23) to CNY279,500. Tesla Model 3 sells for more than CNY271,500 after subsidies in China. The blade battery is Shenzhen-based BYD's proprietary patented product. It is more stable than conventional ternary lithium and lithium iron phosphate batteries and supplies more power on one charge. The Han BEV ultra-long life battery version can run 605 kilometers upon one top up, while the hybrid DM version can go more than 800 kilometers. The China-made Tesla Model 3 with a ternary lithium battery produced by LG Chem can run only 468 kilometers on one charge, by contrast. The BYD H...