Chinese Blogger Restricted After Independent Tests Question BYD Blade Battery 2.0 Heat Levels During Ultra-Fast Charging
A prominent Chinese automotive content creator known online as Cai Shen Dao (also referred to as Kai Shen Dao or Caishendao) has seen his social media accounts restricted and claims that BYD filed a police report against him following the publication of independent tests on the company’s second-generation Blade Battery. The tests, which recorded cell-surface temperatures significantly higher than those displayed by the vehicle’s battery management system during ultra-fast charging sessions, have ignited a broader discussion about thermal management in next-generation lithium iron phosphate (LFP) packs, the limits of independent scrutiny in China’s EV industry, and whether elevated heat during aggressive charging poses longer-term risks to battery longevity.
The dispute traces back to May 2026. Cai livestreamed a high-power charging test using a Fangchengbao Tai 3 (also styled as FCB Tai 3 or similar under BYD’s multi-brand structure) equipped with the second-generation Blade Battery. The vehicle, featuring a roughly 78–79 kWh LFP pack, was charged from approximately 8 percent to 97 percent state of charge. Five externally mounted temperature probes attached to the cell surfaces registered a peak of 76.42°C. At the same time, the car’s onboard battery management system (BMS) reported around 71°C. Temperature differences among the probes reached about 6.5°C depending on their placement. The charging session completed without thermal runaway, fire, or any indicated system shutdown.
Cai maintained that the vehicle had been purchased legally from an official dealership and that the cooling system remained operational throughout. He rejected suggestions that the pack had been drilled or structurally altered beyond the simple attachment of surface sensors. The readings, however, quickly circulated widely and prompted online debate. Critics of the test argued that external surface measurements on a production pack cannot be directly equated with internal cell temperatures or the averaged data the BMS uses for control decisions. Supporters countered that any consistent gap between independent sensors and the manufacturer’s displayed figures warrants closer examination, especially given the marketing emphasis on ultra-rapid “flash” charging.
Later in May, Cai’s team conducted a destructive teardown of a second-generation Blade pack. To facilitate access they froze the pack for approximately 40 hours before spending about eight hours cutting, grinding, and mechanically disassembling it. Their published observations described 170 cells connected in series, a grid-like reinforcement structure, direct refrigerant cooling rather than conventional liquid cooling loops, a pack weight of roughly 572 kg, and an estimated volumetric integration efficiency of 73.6 percent. The process necessarily damaged adhesives, cooling interfaces, and insulation layers, meaning the opened pack no longer represented sealed factory operating conditions. The teardown nevertheless offered one of the more detailed public looks at the internal architecture supporting BYD’s high-power charging claims.
After Chinese regulators restricted his accounts, Cai commissioned a follow-up evaluation at the Guolian Research Institute, linked to China’s National Power Battery Innovation Center. Under laboratory conditions the same model of vehicle charged from 7 percent to 97 percent in 8 minutes and 32 seconds, drawing a peak current of approximately 1,200 amps. External probes placed on exposed cell surfaces recorded a peak of 78.5°C, while the BMS indicated about 70.5°C—an approximately 8°C difference. Ambient temperatures during the lab test sat in the high 20s°C. The institute’s results largely corroborated the magnitude of the surface-to-BMS gap observed in Cai’s original livestream, though once again the measurement setup involved modified conditions rather than a fully sealed production assembly.
In early July 2026 the Shenzhen Cyberspace Administration restricted the Cai Shen Dao accounts under the national Qinglang campaign. Official summaries cited the publication and dissemination of misleading product testing information and damage to enterprise goodwill. The measures limited posting, commenting, and monetization across major platforms including Weibo, Bilibili, Douyin, and WeChat. On July 30 Cai stated on Weibo that BYD had filed a police report against him at the Songjiang District Police Station in Shanghai concerning the fast-charging tests. He said he had submitted hundreds of pages of test records and supporting materials. Neither BYD nor Shanghai police have publicly confirmed the filing, its acceptance, or the status of any investigation. Cai also released screenshots he claimed showed an agency contacting him about possible commercial cooperation shortly before the original livestream; the authenticity of those materials and any formal connection to BYD remain unverified by independent parties.
BYD has not released a detailed technical rebuttal addressing the specific temperature differentials in publicly available coverage. The company has continued to promote the second-generation Blade Battery and its associated FLASH charging infrastructure, highlighting charge times as short as five minutes from 10 to 70 percent under ideal conditions, strong low-temperature performance, and high energy density that supports claimed ranges exceeding 1,000 km on the CLTC cycle in some models. BYD has previously demonstrated extreme abuse tests on Blade cells, including scenarios involving induced thermal runaway and high-temperature exposure that did not result in fire or explosion in the company’s presentations. LFP chemistry is inherently more thermally stable than high-nickel NMC formulations, a point repeatedly emphasized by the automaker.
The technical question at the center of the dispute is whether the recorded surface temperatures indicate a meaningful hidden danger. Lithium-ion cells, including LFP, experience accelerated degradation when operated or charged at elevated temperatures for prolonged periods. The solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer that protects the anode can break down more rapidly above certain thresholds, increasing internal resistance and reducing cycle life. Many battery experts regard sustained temperatures approaching or exceeding 70°C during high-rate charging as a concern for longevity even if immediate safety is maintained. At the same time, localized surface readings do not necessarily equal bulk internal temperatures, and effective cooling—particularly the direct refrigerant approach used in the second-generation Blade—can keep most of the cell mass within safer bounds. The absence of thermal runaway in both the livestream and laboratory sessions is consistent with LFP’s chemical stability. Whether repeated exposure to these peak surface conditions meaningfully shortens pack life under real-world mixed driving and charging patterns remains an open empirical question that would require long-term fleet data or controlled aging studies.
The episode sits within a wider pattern. Chinese EV makers, including BYD, have pursued multiple civil cases against online creators over statements about batteries, motors, range, or safety that courts later deemed unsupported or defamatory. One earlier case involving the creator known as Long Ge Talks EVs resulted in a court order for substantial compensation and a public apology after claims about battery and motor issues were found lacking evidence. Manufacturers argue that unverified or exaggerated criticism can distort consumer perceptions in a highly competitive market and harm brand reputation. Independent testers and some observers counter that aggressive legal and administrative responses risk discouraging legitimate technical scrutiny precisely when new high-power charging systems are being rolled out at scale.
China’s regulators have simultaneously intensified efforts against false advertising and online misinformation in the auto sector. Campaigns such as Qinglang explicitly target content judged to mislead the public or damage enterprise goodwill. The result is a constrained environment for critical testing videos. Creators must navigate a narrow path between providing transparent data and avoiding regulatory or legal pushback. Cai’s decision to commission an accredited national laboratory after his accounts were restricted illustrates one response to that environment: seeking institutional validation when personal platforms are limited.
As of early August 2026 the matter remains unresolved. No public court judgment, completed police investigation findings, or formal safety action related to the temperature readings has been announced. BYD continues expanding its high-power charging network with ambitions to reach tens of thousands of stations. The second-generation Blade Battery is being fitted across a growing range of models. Consumers and industry watchers are left with measured data points—surface temperatures in the mid-to-high 70s°C under extreme charging conditions that exceed the figures shown by the vehicle’s own systems—alongside the manufacturer’s continued assertions of safety and performance.
The core issues raised by the tests are not whether the battery is on the verge of catastrophic failure; the evidence does not support that conclusion. Rather, they concern transparency around real thermal behavior during the ultra-fast charging that BYD and other Chinese makers are positioning as a competitive advantage, the durability implications of those thermal profiles over years of ownership, and the practical space available for independent verification in a market where regulatory and corporate pressure on critical voices has become more pronounced. Those questions will likely persist until more standardized, sealed-pack thermal data under high-power charging becomes routinely available from multiple sources.
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