BYD unveils battery system that charges EVs in 5 minutes

SHENZHEN – BYD has unveiled a new system for electric cars that the Chinese carmaker says will allow them to be charged almost as fast as it takes a regular car to refuel.

BYD’s new battery and charging system was capable of providing 400km of range in five minutes in tests on its new Han L sedan, chairman and founder Wang Chuanfu said on March 17. The manufacturer will start selling vehicles with the new technology in April.

Being able to charge a car in the time it takes a combustion engine vehicle to pull in and out of a petrol station could convince drivers who are not willing to make lengthy stops to go electric.

The new platform, which will underpin many of its future electric vehicles (EVs),could provide another boost for BYD, which has come from behind to rival US manufacturer Tesla as the world’s top EV seller. Tesla’s China shipments plunged 49 per cent in February from a year earlier to just 30,688 vehicles, the lowest monthly figure since July 2022.

BYD has committed to building more than 4,000 charging stations across China to serve the newly upgraded EVs. It did not disclose a specific timeline or cost to complete the rollout. However, the company earlier in March raised around US$5.6 billion (S$7.4 billion) in a share sale.

The speeds would be comfortably ahead of Tesla’s Superchargers, which can add up to 275km of range in 15 minutes. Tesla, however, has a much larger network of more than 65,000 Superchargers worldwide.

Mercedes-Benz Group’s new entry-level CLA electric sedan unveiled last week can add 325km in 10 minutes of charging.

BYD’s new EV platform will allow cars to reach 100kmh in two seconds, Mr Wang said at the event at the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen.

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