Range anxiety aside, charging time is perhaps the other major barrier to electric vehicle adoption. But what if I told you that flash charging as fast as filling up a fossil-fuel vehicle exists? Well, my friends, that is what BYD FLASH Charging promises.
BYD calls it the world’s fastest mass-produced EV charging system, with up to 1,500 kW available through a single connector. Paired with a compatible vehicle, it can take a battery from 10 to 70% in five minutes or from 10 to 97% in nine. Even at a teeth-chattering –30°C (–22°F), charging from 20 to 97% supposedly takes 12 minutes. BYD sums it up as “Ready in Five, Full in Nine, Cold Add Three.” Someone in marketing earned lunch that day. 😂
Each T-shaped charger has two connectors and can charge two vehicles simultaneously at up to 1,000 kW apiece. Delivering that much power without asking the local grid to perform a miracle requires two 185 kWh storage batteries, giving each charger 370 kWh of on-site capacity. These batteries draw power from the grid at between roughly 100 and 560 kW, then release it much faster when a car plugs in. Now, that’s thinking outside of the box.
The headline speeds require BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery, which supports a peak charging rate of 10C. Compatible vehicles include the DENZA Z9 GT, DENZA Z supercar, and DENZA D9 plug-in hybrid. Other CCS2-equipped EVs can also use the chargers, but they will charge only as quickly as their batteries permit. Bringing a drinking straw to a fire hose does not turn it into a bigger straw. Actually, it shouldn’t need to be said, but you know how some people are…
The cable system rides on overhead rails, keeping the thick connectors off wet or dirty ground while making them easier to move. In the U.K., payment options include Plug & Charge, the BYD FLASH app, credit cards, and RFID roaming cards. Overstay fees may apply to discourage slower-charging vehicles from treating the bay as long-term parking.
BYD plans to install 300 FLASH Chargers across the UK within 12 months, prioritizing BYD and DENZA locations, motorway services, and existing charging hubs. Pricing will be announced at launch, with preferential rates promised for compatible BYD and DENZA owners.
Five-minute charging may not completely remove range anxiety, but it leaves considerably less time to worry about it. Sorry for the subtle contextual pun. I just cannot help it. 😆
Images: BYD.
