BYD Unveils Ultra-Fast EV Charging System, Rivals Tesla with New Tech:

The Chinese automaker replaces the fuel filling process with a new, cutting-edge battery and electric charging system which takes only a handful of minutes to recharge, almost on par with a combustion engine vehicle’s refueling. As claimed by Chairman and founder Wang Chuanfu, the new Han L sedan’s battery was able to provide 470 kilometers (292 miles) of range in only 5 minutes. These cars are set to hit the market next month.

Being able to “refuel” a car within five minutes of pulling in and out of a gas station can convert drivers who would have otherwise strayed away from electric cars, especially those who hate making frequent stops on long drives.

These advancements alongside BYD promising to set up new charging infrastructures could serve as a precedent to strengthen its market position against Tesla Inc. as the head seller of EVs throughout the globe, but could also undermine the company’s future prospects by relying on such charging platforms.

This speed would surpass the performance of Tesla's Superchargers, which add 275 kilometers of range in 15 minutes. Nevertheless, Tesla has the edge of having more than 65,000 Superchargers strategically set up around the world. Mercedes-Benz Group AG recently announced its entry-level CLA electric sedan, which is capable of charging range of 325 kilometers in just 10 minutes.

According to Wang, BYD's new EV platform will facilitate cars to accelerate to 100 kilometers per hour within two seconds during an event at the company's headquarters located in Shenzhen.

In April, the Han L and the Tang L sport utility vehicle (SUV) will be available for purchase, with prices starting at 270,000 and 280,000 yuan. BYD is expecting to sell them at $37,338 and $38,950. In anticipation of these vehicles, BYD is planning to construct over 4,000 new charging stations specifically designed for these models, which is why they’ll require these cars to be equipped with the new technology.

As stated by Lei Xing, an independent auto analyst in China, “This is BYD ‘elevating the game to another dimension'.”

The year 2025 looks promising for BYD so far. This company sells only hybrid and fully electric cars, and last month alone, they sold over 318,000 units, which marks an increase of 161% from last year. With an almost 15% share of the auto market, BYD remains the number one car manufacturer in China, which happens to be the largest auto market in the world. The shares of BYD’s stock listed in Hong Kong have remained unchanged since Monday, but have shown an increase of 45% this year.

Bloomberg Intelligence China auto industry analyst Joanna Chen believes that the demand for BYD’s next-generation cars may be enhanced with an advanced EV powertrain. “This could mark the beginning of a new wave of model rollouts that will accelerate BYD's battery electric vehicle sales so that these vehicles can catch up with hybrids after falling behind in 2024,” she said.

This year, BYD has announced that it, along with other Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, will set out to popularize advanced driver assistance technology. Earlier this year, the company claimed to be taking this technology to the masses by incorporating lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, and many other features into the cheapest models.

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the current leader in manufacturing EV batteries, may also be threatened competitively by BYD's Super e-Platform. For instance, Li Auto Inc. is utilizing one of CATL’s latest generation batteries, which allows charging that provides 500 kilometers of range in just 12 minutes.