Why BYD's New Battery Charging Platform Is Turning Heads

EV maker's promise of five-minute charges could help it seize market share from rivals

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Chinese carmaker BYD is turning heads with claims that it has developed an electric vehicle (EV) platform it says will enable drivers to charge an EV in roughly the same time it takes to refuel a petrol car.

From "more features for no more price" and "smart driving for all", BYD can now add "charging as fast as refuelling" to its marketing slogans, potentially helping it to capture more market share from legacy carmakers and more direct rivals like billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla.

HOW DOES BYD'S NEW SYSTEM WORK AND COMPARE WITH RIVALS' OFFERINGS?

BYD showcased the upgrade to its EVs (the Shenzhen-based automaker also makes hybrid cars) at an event on March 17 in China. The so-called Super e-Platform features flash-charging batteries, a 30,000 rpm motor and new silicon carbide power chips.

In layman's terms, what this means is that BYD's cars can achieve a charging power of 1MW and a peak charging speed of 2km per second, according to the company, making the system the fastest of its type for mass-produced vehicles and allowing for 400km of range to be added in just five minutes of charging.

That is more or less analogous to what it takes to pull in at and out of a petrol station and pay for a full tank.

The capability BYD is claiming to have outperforms Tesla's Superchargers, which can add 275km of range in 15 minutes, according to the company's website.

Mercedes-Benz Group's new entry-level CLA sedan EV can achieve 325km in 10 minutes.

BYD also has plenty of competition closer to home.

China's Li Auto, for example, uses a battery from Contemporary Amperex Technology in one of its vehicles that offers 500km of range from a 12-minute charge.

BYD says it has made such leaps that the Han L, one of the EVs that will now come with the new Super e-Platform, is comparable to a Formula E racing car.

HOW HAS BYD MADE SUCH FAST CHARGES POSSIBLE?