BYD, a Chinese EV (electric vehicle) manufacturer, has announced a new battery and charging system it claims can top-up an EV almost as quickly as it takes to fill a traditional combustion engine car with gas.
The Super E Platform is capable of delivering charging speeds of up to 1 megawatt (1000kW), equivalent to 2km of range every second at peak speeds. A five minute charge can replenish up to 400km (around 250 miles) of range.
And it’s not just impressive charging speeds BYD is touting, as the new platform also comprises a 580kW motor capable of propelling an EV to over 300km/h (186 mph).
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Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD Group, said (translated) “our goal is to make the charging time of electric vehicles as short as the refueling time of fuel vehicles” as the company looks to dispel consumer range anxiety.
Currently, Tesla’s Superchargers can replenish 200 miles of range in roughly 15 minutes, so if BYD’s claims ring true this could be a major milestone for the EV industry and could continue the surge in EV sales.
A platform and battery capable of megawatt charging is just part of the parcel. Drivers also require a charging station network capable of delivering the high rate of power, and for those in most of the world megawatt charging stations simply do not exist.
BYD says it plans to build over 4,000 “megawatt flash charging stations” across China in the future, but hasn’t given a timeline for when these will be completed. As for the rest of the world, we’ll have to wait and see if the technology is adopted by other manufacturers.
The first Super E cars have been revealed
This isn’t just some future EV technology announcement, as BYD has also unveiled its first two electric cars which are built on the new Super E Platform – the Han L and Tang L.
For now, they’re only available in China, with pre-sales already open. The Han L sedan starts at 270,000 yuan (roughly $37,300), while the Tang L SUV starts at 280,000 yuan (roughly $38,700).
BYD says both vehicles will be officially launched in April, although it’s not confirmed when exactly they’ll be hitting Chinese roads.
