- BYD’s new Flash chargers are capable of delivering 1,500 kilowatts of power.
- Electric vehicles powered by the company’s new Blade 2.0 battery can recharge to nearly full in under 10 minutes using the new tech.
- The T-shaped charging towers are arranged like traditional gas stations.
Around a year ago, Chinese EV giant BYD revealed its game-changing megawatt chargers, which InsideEVs tested during a trip to Beijing. We watched it deliver a staggering 1,000-plus kilowatts of peak charging power on the Han L sedan, adding a 250 miles of range (according to China’s slightly generous range estimates) in just five minutes.
Apparently, that wasn’t quick enough for BYD. The company on Thursday revealed a new generation of “Flash” chargers and a upgraded vehicle tech that—even more so than last time around—make EV charging stops nearly as quick as getting gas.
The company’s new “Flash” chargers can deliver 1,500 kilowatts (1.5 megawatts) of peak charging power, thanks to 1,500 amps of current and a 1,000-volt base architecture. That’s three times the peak charging speeds Tesla’s latest V4 Superchargers can deliver here in the U.S. Most new EV chargers in America can put out 250-400 kW, matching the capability of the market’s fastest-charging vehicles.
The automaker also revealed its second-generation Blade lithium-iron phosphate battery. Here’s what the two technologies can do together: When the new Flash charger is plugged into a vehicle equipped with the new Blade 2.0 battery, it takes only five minutes to charge from 10-70% and about 9 minutes to reach 97%.
BYD Megawatt Flash Charger
Photo by: BYD
In temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit), the battery will charge from 20-97% in just 12 minutes. BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu said the company was deliberately ending charging at 97% to reserve about 3% of capacity for regenerative braking, Chinese media outlets reported. Compared to the 20-40-minute charging stops we typically experience in the U.S., all of this is just incredibly quick.
BYD showcased this charging performance in the real world. It took a Denza Z9 GT out on a drive and drained its battery down to 9% state of charge with about 93 kilometers (58 miles) of range remaining. It then plugged it into the 1,500 kW Flash charger. A mere 9 minutes and 51 seconds later, the car’s gauge cluster displayed a range of 1,008 kilometers (626 miles).
One caveat we should mention: The optimistic China Light Duty Test Cycle (CLTC) is biased toward city driving and results in higher range estimates than, say, the EPA numbers Americans are most familiar with. However, even after knocking that 626 miles down to its rough EPA equivalent, we’re looking at nearly 400 miles of driving range added in under 10 minutes. That may not be exactly as quick as filling up a car with gas, but it’s damn close.
The Denza Z9 GT can add nearly 1,000 km of range in just over 9 minutes.
Photo by: BYD
It also leaves some of the fastest charging EVs in the U.S. in the dust. In an independent charging test by InsideEVs contributor and State Of Charge YouTube channel host Tom Moloughney, the Lucid Gravity went from 0-50% state of charge in 12.5 minutes on a 350 kW EVgo station, adding about 200 miles of range in that time.
The design and arrangement of these new Flash charging stations even reflect the charging speeds. They look like your neighborhood Shell gas station—drivers can come in, quickly charge their EVs, and then drive out. The T-shaped towers have what BYD calls “zero-gravity” guns, which the company says are lightweight and easier to maneuver. They also have plug-and-charge functionality, so drivers don’t have to fiddle with apps and payment systems.
Photo by: BYD
The company is aggressively deploying Flash chargers, having already completed the construction of about 4,200 stations in China, according to the automaker. The goal is to build out 20,000 stations by the end of this year. When that happens, more than 90% of urban areas in China will have at least one Flash charger available to use within 5 kilometers (3 miles).
Plus, the Flash chargers are also coming to Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific region, BYD said.
Such massive power output could strain the existing electricity grid, Chuanfu said, so the company will install energy storage batteries at these sites for better load distribution and power management. Such grid batteries are also becoming common across charging stations in North America. They add a buffer by storing energy during low demands and deploying it back during rush hours. Plus, they also store surplus energy from renewable sources like solar.
While BYD is certainly the frontrunner in this megawatt charging push, there’s also an emerging arms race among Chinese automakers to roll out these ultra-fast stations. Rival Zeekr has also developed megawatt chargers, and so has technology giant Huawei.
Photo by: BYD
Meanwhile, the fastest public chargers available in the U.S. top out at around 500 kilowatts. And even those aren’t widely deployed yet. The heavy tariffs keeping Chinese EVs and technology out of the American market were meant to give the domestic auto industry room to grow. Instead, they are creating a widening technology gap: Chinese automakers are racing into the future, while American brands double down on internal combustion engine technology and focus on their profitable gas trucks and SUVs.
North America is indeed getting newer and more affordable EVs this year, but it’s pretty clear that the most cutting-edge EV tech is nowhere near our shores.
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