BYD unveils superfast charging tech — 400 km in just 5 minutes!

KUALA LUMPUR: Charging time has always been seen as one of the major concerns in the adoption of pure electric vehicles, especially when compared to the convenience of refuelling a petrol or diesel car. But is there any way the charging time can be drastically reduced and EVs become practical?

The answer is YES! Thanks to BYD. 

The Chinese EV giant has recently introduced its new “Super e-Platform,”  which can provide a 400 km range in a mere five minutes of charging. Shocking, isn’t it?

BYD Super e-Platform

• The Super e-Platform features a 1,000 V high-voltage system that supports battery charging speeds of up to 1,000kW. 
• Twice that of the latest Tesla V4 charger, BYD’s all-electric architecture can add two kilometres of driving range per second, making EV charging as fast as refuelling an ICE-powered vehicle.
• This hi-tech platform integrates advanced battery technology, including a 1500V silicon-carbide power module for better energy efficiency and discharge. It is optimized for next-gen high-capacity batteries.
• It also features new high-revving motors i.e. up to 30,511 rpm, which is the highest-ever in any mass-produced electric motor till date, claims BYD.

BYD has also introduced a 1360 kW mega flash charger, a powerful liquid-cooled unit designed to support the Super e-Platform's fast charging speed. It can juice up the battery pack without overheating or damaging it. 

BYD Megawatt Flash Charger (1,000V & 1,000A) supports 10C charging, which achieves 1 MW power in just 10 seconds. This means it can offer 7% to 50% SoC in only 4.5 minutes. The automaker is set to build over 4,000 megawatt “flash-charging stations” across China. 

BYD EVs based on Super e-Platform

The soon-to-be-launched BYD Han L and BYD Tang L will be the brand’s first two EVs to get this platform and will be sold exclusively in China. The Han L EV is a sleek sedan whereas the Tang L EV is a large SUV with a 2+3+2 seat layout. 

The 4WD variants of these EVs will come powered by either a single e-motor or a four-wheel drive motor. Here's a quick rundown of the 4WD specifications -

Specs	BYD Han L	BYD Tang L
Powertrain	Dual-Motor 4WD	Dual-Motor 4WD
Max output	810 kW (1,086 hp)	810 kW (1,086 hp)
0-100 kmph acceleration	2.7 sec	3.6 sec
Top speed	305 kmph	287.4 kmph
Range	NA	560 km / 600 km / 670 km

Industry comparison

Here’s how the BYD’s new charging tech compares to other fast-charging technologies across the world -

• BYD Megawatt Flash Charger: 1,000 kW (1 MW)
• Xpeng S5: 800 kW
• NIO Power: 640 kW
• Li Auto 5C: 520 kW
• Tesla V4 Supercharger: 500 kW

Well, if BYD would be able to pull off this game-changing technology on a large scale, it could drive higher adoption of EVs worldwide. What’s your take?

Also read: BYD Sealion 05 electric SUV revealed in China; Will it come to Malaysia?