British carmakers are facing a ‘wake-up call’ as a new Chinese electric car that can be charged in the same time it takes to fill a petrol tank prepares to launch in the UK.
The Denza Z9GT, made by Chinese carmaker BYD, can power up its battery from 10 per cent to 70 per cent in five minutes and to 97 per cent in 12 minutes.
It is being seen as a gamechanger in the evolution of electric vehicles – but is fuelling fears it will hit the UK auto industry hard, outclassing it on technology and price.
That would leave Britain even more dependent on Beijing after domestic car production collapsed to a 73-year low.
The Denza Z9GT will have a range of up to 497 miles and is set to go on sale in Britain this summer following a launch in Europe next month, although the price has not yet been revealed.
BYD said it also plans to install up to 300 ‘Flash Charger’ stations in the UK this year, which will be laid out on forecourts similar to petrol stations.
The company claims it is able to power up its cars at such rapid speeds because its chargers use power levels of up to 1,500 kilowatts – much higher than most fast-charging stations in the UK, which use 350 kilowatts.
Its new batteries are also designed to reduce resistance so less power is lost through heat while charging.
Andy Palmer, former boss of Aston Martin, said BYD’s tech was ‘a significant step forward’ as it would reduce concerns about long waits to power up electric cars – a key ‘psychological barrier’ among drivers who may consider switching from petrol or diesel.
But Mr Palmer, nicknamed the ‘godfather of electric vehicles’ for his work on battery-powered cars while a top executive at Nissan, added that the Chinese firm’s progress meant Western manufacturers risked being left behind.
‘Chinese manufacturers are pushing very hard and innovating at an incredible pace. That should act as a wake-up call for European and UK automakers,’ he said.
BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, arrived in the UK in 2023 but has been expanding its affordable electric cars by undercutting British rivals.
The company, run by Chinese billionaire Wang Chuanfu, became the biggest seller of electric vehicles in the UK at the end of last year with 51,422 registrations.
Its rapid charging tech also spells trouble for Elon Musk’s Tesla, which last year was dethroned by BYD as the world’s biggest electric carmaker.
But BYD’s rise, as well as the encroachment of other brands such as Chery, whose cars are advertised by footballer Peter Crouch and his wife Abbey Clancy, is driving fears that the British and European car industries could see sharp declines in sales as they struggle to compete.
The popularity of BYD vehicles is also likely to grow with a UK ban on new petrol and diesel cars set to come into force in 2030.
BYD’s growing dominance will increase concerns about whether China’s Communist government could use cars as tools of espionage. Under Beijing laws, firms in the country are compelled to ‘support, assist, and co-operate’ with state intelligence work.
