KATHMANDU: At the IAA Transportation 2026 show in Hanover, Germany, BYD unveiled its own electric semi truck to rival the Tesla Semi. Called the ETT 44, it looks far more conventional on the outside, but carries some serious engineering underneath.
The ETT 44 4X2 uses BYD’s “Ultra-Safe Blade Battery” technology, with a massive 651 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) pack powering a 732-horsepower electric motor, capable of a peak output of 1,000 horsepower. It supports over 1.5 megawatts of “Flash Charging” via MCS stations, going from 20% to 80% charge in under 20 minutes.
On a full charge, BYD claims a range of about 600 km, with a 20-80% top-up adding roughly another 400 km, a solid figure for a truck weighing close to 10,950 kg unloaded. A 6X2 variant is also planned, although its range has not been revealed yet. Its gross combination weight of 44 tons exceeds Tesla’s Semi by four tons.
The truck also comes with a 10-year, 1.2-million-km warranty on its battery, notably longer than the 6-8 year warranties typical among European electric truck makers. Tesla, by comparison, has not disclosed warranty terms for its own Semi.
The underlying platform isn’t limited to semi trucks either; BYD says it will also power other commercial vehicles like rigid trucks and yard tractors. The ETT 44 comes with a sleeper cab, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 12.8-inch display for long-haul comfort.
With its entry, BYD joins Tesla, Volvo, and Mercedes in Europe’s growing electric semi truck race, a market that’s only getting more crowded, with Sweden’s Einride recently ordering 500 Tesla Semis.
