- Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has unveiled a new quick-charging system that can add nearly 250 miles of range from a charge lasting as little as five minutes, or about as long as it usually takes to fill up a vehicle’s gas tank. The announcement includes a commitment to build more than 4,000 of the new ultra-fast charging systems across China, but the construction timeline is unclear.
- The move comes as most BYD owners in China reportedly rely on chargers built by other EV manufacturers to keep their vehicles juiced up.
- Known as “Super e-Platform” technology, the new BYD chargers are capable of peak speeds that are reportedly twice as fast as Tesla’s V4 Superchargers, scheduled for release later this year.
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Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has unveiled a new quick-charging system that can add nearly 250 miles of range from a charge in as little as five minutes, or about as long as it usually takes to fill up a gas tank.
What is BYD’s founder saying?
BYD’s founder, Wang Chuanfu, said on Monday, March 17, “In order to completely solve users charging anxiety, we have been pursuing a goal to make the charging time of electric vehicles as short as the refueling time of petrol vehicles. This is the first time in the industry that the unit of megawatt has been achieved on charging power.”
The announcement on Monday also includes a commitment to build more than 4,000 of the new ultra-fast charging systems across China, though the timeline on their construction is unclear at this time.
The move comes as most BYD owners in China reportedly rely on chargers made by other EV manufacturers to keep their vehicles juiced up.
Known as “Super e-Platform” technology, the new BYD chargers are capable of peak speeds that are reportedly twice as fast as Tesla’s V4 Superchargers scheduled for release later this year.
How broadly is the new technology available?
The new BYD charging technology is only available in two models, the Han L sedan and the Tang L SUV, which start at a little less than $40,000.
This isn’t the EV maker’s only recent announcement. Earlier this month, it released a roof-mounted drone launcher, available for all of its models, allowing drones to take off and land at up to 15 miles per hour.
Is Tesla feeling the heat?
BYD is also catching up to Tesla with 1.76 million cars sold in 2024, just behind Tesla’s 1.79 million vehicles sold last year, but BYD’s figures also include hybrid models, and 90% of sales by the company are in China.
