Charges as quickly as filling a petrol tank

According to Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD, EV charging is about to get a serious upgrade. BYD has just revealed a new fast charging system that it claims can deliver up to 400km of range in just five minutes, thereby potentially making it as quick to charge an EV as it is to fill a petrol tank. If the technology holds up in real world use, it could mark a turning point not just for BYD, but for the entire electric vehicle industry.

Twice the power of Tesla superchargers

With charging power reaching a staggering 1,000kW, twice that of Tesla’s best superchargers, the announcement is already understandably rattling the market. For example, shares in BYD jumped 4.1% in response, while Tesla’s stock fell for the second day running. However, the real story lies in the technology behind the hype, and the wider implications for sustainability, infrastructure, and competition in the UK and beyond.

How does it actually work?

Can BYD really charge an EV in five minutes? Technically, yes it seems, although it may not be quite as simple as plugging in and hitting the road.

The key lies in the Han L sedan’s 83.2 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, paired with a cutting edge 945 volt electrical system. This high voltage architecture reduces heat and boosts efficiency, allowing for rapid energy transfer without overheating.

• The LFP chemistry is more thermally stable than the nickel based alternatives used by many rivals, making it safer and more tolerant of aggressive charging rates.
• BYD’s “Blade Battery 2.0” technology, made by its subsidiary FinDreams, uses a dense, compact structure that enables faster heat dissipation.
• The “dual gun” system means two 500kW charging connectors can be used simultaneously, delivering a combined 1,000kW charging speed, or 1 megawatt.
• This setup allows the car to charge from 16% to 80% in just 10 minutes, and from 16% to 100% in 24 minutes, even in sub zero temperatures.

Caveat

It should be noted, however, that there’s a caveat. The range claim of 400km in five minutes is based on China’s CLTC cycle, which tends to overstate real world figures by around 35%. Realistically, UK drivers might see closer to 160 miles from a five minute top up. Nonetheless, it’s a massive leap from current norms.

How does it rate against Tesla?

Tesla’s most powerful chargers currently deliver 250-500kW, depending on the model and version. The latest V4 superchargers, while not widely deployed yet, promise faster speeds, but still fall short of BYD’s new benchmark.

• Tesla’s 500kW charging adds around 170 miles in 15 minutes.
• BYD’s system adds the same in just 5 minutes.

Charging station difference

The key difference is that Tesla’s infrastructure is more mature, with over 65,000 superchargers globally. BYD, meanwhile, has only just announced plans to install 4,000 “flash charging stations” in China. Rollout elsewhere, including the UK, remains unclear. However, with BYD now outselling Tesla in battery electric vehicles globally, the race is tightening.

Why this matters for sustainability

Beyond the tech buzz, the implications for sustainability are significant. For example, one of the biggest barriers to widespread EV adoption remains “charging anxiety”: the fear of long wait times and limited charging infrastructure. BYD says its platform directly addresses that concern, because:

• Faster charging means shorter stops and less congestion at public chargers, reducing the energy used in queueing, idling, or rerouting to find available stations.
• LFP batteries, like those used in BYD’s vehicles, avoid the use of cobalt and nickel, which are more resource intensive to mine and process.
• The ability to handle rapid charging without degradation means batteries could last longer, reducing waste and improving lifecycle emissions.

If BYD can scale this tech internationally, it could accelerate the decarbonisation of road transport, especially in countries like the UK, where EV adoption has so far been hampered by patchy charging infrastructure.

What about the UK market?

While BYD’s fast charging system is initially launching in China, its growing presence in the UK could mean British buyers benefit sooner than expected.

Last month, BYD overtook Tesla in UK EV sales for the first time, with year on year growth of 500%. Tesla’s UK sales, by contrast, fell by 8%, amid growing unease over Elon Musk’s political involvement in Trump’s US government and the broader downturn in EV sentiment.

If BYD brings the Han L sedan or Tang L SUV to the UK, both of which are compatible with the new charging system, they could seriously undercut premium rivals. With starting prices around £28,700 in China, even after import costs, these models would compete strongly against higher priced Teslas and European EVs.

US President Donald Trump’s push for increased tariffs on Chinese imports could unintentionally benefit BYD in European markets. While 100% tariffs currently apply to Chinese EVs entering the US, the UK, like the EU, has so far taken a more moderate stance.

In fact, the EU has launched an anti subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs, but has stopped short of immediate punitive tariffs. The European Commission says: “The aim is to ensure a level playing field… not to shut out competition, but to ensure that competition is fair.”

For BYD, this opens a window of opportunity to expand its footprint across Europe, especially as Tesla’s share price has slumped, and its product development slowed.

Can the grid handle it?

For BYD, there’s one potential spanner in the works: the charging infrastructure itself. Delivering 1,000kW of power requires serious hardware and some serious grid capacity. Each charging station would need reinforced grid connections, advanced cooling systems, and high spec transformers. It’s unlikely to be rolled out in older service stations without significant upgrades. For example, the heat output of megawatt class EV chargers needs continuous thermal management and some substantial safety measures.

Therefore, for BYD’s system to reach the UK en masse, infrastructure investment will be key. It may also require new standards and regulations, given that most UK fast charging points currently max out at 150-350kW.

That said, with the technology now proven, and global EV sales continuing to rise, faster charging is no longer really a fantasy but is the next frontier.

What does this mean for your organisation?

If BYD can deliver on its promise of five minute charging at scale, the ripple effects for UK businesses, infrastructure providers, and consumers could be significant. For example, for fleet operators, taxi firms, delivery services and public transport providers, faster charging could translate into less downtime, lower running costs, and improved operational efficiency. It would also allow more flexible scheduling of EV use, making electric fleets a far more attractive option for businesses previously hesitant to commit.

For UK charging infrastructure firms and energy providers, on the one hand, rolling out megawatt capable charging points will require costly upgrades and forward planning. However, on the other, it opens the door to a new generation of ultra rapid charging hubs, reshaping service stations and rest stops into high efficiency EV energy depots. It seems that those who move early may well gain a long term competitive edge.

For manufacturers and retailers, BYD’s technology ups the ante. Carmakers relying on slower or more conventional charging models may now face mounting pressure to catch up or risk being left behind. At the same time, retailers in the UK who already stock BYD vehicles, or plan to do so, could find themselves with a compelling new selling point that aligns with growing consumer demand for convenience, performance and sustainability.

From a consumer point of view, the shift to faster, safer, and more sustainable battery technology addresses several long standing concerns in one go. If BYD’s LFP-powered Han L or Tang L models can combine competitive pricing with real world reliability, the barriers to EV adoption, particularly for those without home chargers, may start to erode far more quickly.

It is still early days, however. BYD’s ultra fast chargers are currently limited to China, and widespread rollout in Europe will depend on regulatory approval, grid capacity and investment appetite.

The post Electric Vehicles ‘Charged in 5 Mins’ appeared first on Quayside Technical Services.

The ‘Shenxing’ EV Battery 

CATL says the ‘Shenxing’ battery can deliver 400km of driving range from a 10 minute charge as well as a range of over 700km on a single full charge, which is around 60 per cent further than the average electric vehicle (EV) on full charge in 2023.

The company says the Shenxing battery will “considerably alleviate fast charging anxiety for EV users” and “opens up an era of EV superfast charging”. 

How It Beats “Fast Charging Anxiety” 

The company, which manufactured more lithium-ion batteries than any of its competitors last year, says that fast charging anxiety is the top factor that stops consumers from shifting to EVs. CATL says that its Shenxing battery “redefines” Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries and alleviates “fast charging anxiety” because:

• It leverages super electronic network cathode technology and fully nano-crystallised LFP cathode materials to create a super electronic network, which facilitates the fast extraction of lithium ions and the rapid response to charging signals.
• CATL’s latest second generation fast ion ring technology has been used to modify the properties of the battery’s graphite surface, thereby increasing intercalation channels. This improves energy density and shortens the intercalation distance for lithium ions. This creates a kind of “expressway” for current conduction.
• Its multi gradient layered electrode design has been developed to strike a perfect balance between fast charging and long range.
• CATL’s new superconducting electrolyte formula effectively reduces the viscosity of the electrolyte, resulting in improved conductivity within the battery.
• The improved, ultra thin SEI film, a passivation layer on the anode surface, inhibiting electrolyte decomposition, reduces resistance of lithium-ion movement, thereby improving the transmission rate of lithium ions and decreasing the resistance of lithium-ion movement.

Better Overall Battery Performance

CATL says that the new Shenxing battery’s features, as listed above, improves its overall performance in addition to its super fast charging, because the Shenxing battery also has a longer driving range, fast charging over a wide range of temperatures, and a high level of safety thanks to structure innovation and leveraging intelligent algorithms.  For example:

• The use of CATL’s “trailblazing all-in-one grouping technology,” is a key reason why the Shenxing battery can reach a range of over 700km, pushing the limits of the performance of LFP chemistry.
• CATL’s cell temperature control technology means the Shenxing battery can charge as normal even at low temperatures. For example, Shenxing can charge to 80 per cent in 10 minutes at room temperature, and from 0-80 per cent in just 30 minutes in temperatures as low as -10°C.
• CATL say the Shenxing battery’s upgraded electrolyte and the separator with a highly safe coating, combined with its intelligent algorithms, provide it with a “real-time fault testing system” that can solve the problems brought about by fast refuelling, thereby giving the battery a high level of safety.

EV Batteries

Although CATL identifies “fast charging anxiety” as the biggest obstacle preventing more people from buying electric vehicles, battery technology has long been a real, physical challenge to how far electric cars are able to travel on a charge. However, many buyers would also argue that there are many other ‘anxieties’ about EVs that are holding back EV sales. These include the price of EVs, especially during a cost of living crisis, and the availability of charging points: charging infrastructure.

There was some good news for the UK last month when Tata, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), confirmed it will be building a £4 billion EV battery factory, termed a ‘gigafactory’, at Bridgwater in Somerset. As well as providing jobs and giving the UK more of a foothold in the EV industry, it will also help the UK by delivering half of the battery production needed by 2030. In the UK, 2030 will see a ban on the sale of new cars using petrol or diesel.

Which Car Companies?

Although it was reported three years ago that CATL had developed a battery that could power an EV for 1.2 million miles over a 16 year lifespan and that deals may have been in place to supply Tesla, BMW, Daimler, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo, it is not clear from its latest more detailed announcement about the Shenxing battery which car manufacturers will be the first to use the new battery.

Record Breaking EV Sales In Recent Times

Even with the battery challenges, EVs are two or three times more efficient than conventional petrol and diesel powered vehicles, plus they have the added benefit of having zero emissions (during driving). Major carmakers have already committed to making EVs and phasing out cars with internal combustion engines entirely by 2040, and it’s predicted (IEA) that electric car sales could overtake fossil fuel powered car sales within the next 15 years. However, the hope is that breakthroughs in battery technology could make this happen faster, which is good news for governments looking to hit carbon emissions targets and deadlines for phasing out fossil fuel vehicles.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

EV battery technology development and how it affects factors like speed of charging, range, battery weight and cost, are factors which affect the wider adoption of EVs. The superfast charging and long range (700km on a full charge) of CATL’s Shenxing battery appear to tackle two of the major challenges, although there are still many more, including charging infrastructure and EV prices.

However, if deals are successfully made with major manufacturers to use the battery and are they’re able to communicate the benefits to the car buying public, this could be one element that could speed up the uptake of EV ownership and the many benefits that brings, for example environmental, and giving a better chance of hitting carbon reduction targets.

As mentioned, there are number of challenges that need to be met to make conditions better to enable larger sales of EVs, but this new battery technology could be an important step in the right direction.

The post World’s First “Superfast Charging” EV Battery appeared first on Quayside Technical Services.