When BYD unveiled its one-megawatt (1,000 kW) five-minute chargers in mid-March, it took the internet by storm. There was debate about whether such high charging speeds were really necessary and whether such a large network was feasible. However, BYD wasn’t just doing it for publicity; it’s moving forward with bold plans to install thousands of chargers across China. These five-minute ‘megawatt’ chargers are a big step forward.
BYD currently has more than 500 1-MW chargers covering the country’s most important urban centers. To massively expand this network, BYD has partnered with third-party companies. Recently, they announced a partnership with Xiaoju Charging and LongShine. Xiaoju Charging has committed to building or upgrading 10,000 charging points to 1 MW, while LongShine will install an additional 5,000 chargers, although no clear timeframe has been provided.
The two partners will play a major role in China’s EV charging sector with their own large networks. While the partners will build the chargers, BYD will supply the energy storage to enable 1 MW charging even in areas where the power grid does not support it.
Only cars built on BYD’s new Super e-Platform 2.0 will support 1 MW charging. Currently, only two models are available that can charge at this speed: the Han L sedan and the Tang L SUV, both launched in April. Both models sold more than 10,000 units in their first full month of sales, indicating that ultra-fast charging is a feature that buyers in China want.
When we watched the Han L charging from a charging station in China, we were amazed at how quickly its range recharged. That’s almost as fast as refueling a combustion car, eliminating one of the biggest drawbacks that drivers have cited as a barrier to switching to electric vehicles.
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BYD isn’t the only Chinese automaker with ultra-fast charging plans. Xpeng already has 480-kW fast chargers in China, with plans to reach 800 kW with their next-generation chargers. The GAC Aion is a charging powerhouse with 6C chargers (meaning they charge six times faster than the battery pack capacity), meaning a 100 kWh EV can be charged at 600 kW.
While Zeekr is working on a 1.2 MW charger, tech powerhouse Huawei wants to take it to 1.5 MW. However, while competitors talk about these insanely high charging speeds, the reality is that BYD already has a significant lead with hundreds of chargers and thousands more to come (as well as EVs that can actually use that charging power).
