BYD's New Stations Make EV Charging Basically As Quick As Getting Gas
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%.
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.