BYD’s electric supercar beats Porsche on both speed and price [Video]

This news is about a car, not home energy upgrades, so it doesn't affect your house directly. Still, here's what it's about: BYD, the Chinese automaker, has launched an electric supercar called the Denza Z, aimed at competing with premium brands like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW in Europe.

The Denza Z comes in three versions—Coupe, Spider, and Racing—all with three electric motors producing over 1,500 horsepower. The top Racing trim can go from 0 to 62 mph in under 2 seconds and reach a top speed of 217 mph. Prices in the UK start at £142,900 (about $193,000) for the Coupe, rising to £172,900 (about $234,000) for the Racing version. That's still less than the Porsche 911 Turbo S, which starts at £199,100 (about $270,000) and is slower off the line. In China, the same car costs roughly half as much as in Europe.

The car uses an 800-volt battery system with fast-charging technology that can take it from 10 percent to 70 percent charge in about five minutes, and to 97 percent in nine minutes. BYD says pre-orders have topped 1,000 in the first five days. None of this changes anything about home electricity use, insulation, or rebates—it's simply a sign of how fast electric vehicle technology and charging speeds are advancing in the broader market.