BYD’s Five-Minute EV Chargers Are Going To Europe To Take On Ionity

BYD’s new Flash Chargers can deliver up to 1,500 kilowatts of power to a single EV.

• China’s BYD wants to start installing its latest Flash Chargers in Europe in the following weeks.

• The stalls can deliver up to 1.5 megawatts of power to a single EV.

• For now, the only cars compatible with the new chargers are BYD’s own EVs fitted with the new Blade 2.0 LFP battery.

China’s BYD wants to supercharge Europe’s EV charging infrastructure. The company said it’s planning to install the first Flash Chargers, which are capable of delivering up to 1,500 kilowatts of power to a single electric car, in the following weeks outside of China.

That’s just in time for the launch of the updated Denza Z9GT, which will make its European debut on April 8 in Paris. The flagship EV is now powered by BYD’s latest Blade 2.0 lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack that can accept the huge power input delivered by the new Flash Chargers.

With 1.5 megawatts flowing through a Chinese-spec charging cable, BYD claims that the new EVs fitted with the Blade 2.0 battery can go from 10-to-70% state of charge in just five minutes, while a 10-to-97% charge takes nine minutes. It’s all mighty impressive, but it’s unclear right now whether these stats will translate over to the European version of the Denza Z9 GT.

What’s more, BYD has been coy on details regarding the rollout of its Flash Chargers in Europe. The company claims that it has already installed thousands of megawatt chargers, and that the first wave of European installations will be “announced in due course.”

As impressive as they might be, BYD’s Flash Chargers realistically only cater to one car, and that’s the upcoming Denza Z9GT. That’s because the vast majority of EVs sold in Europe can only go as high as 400 kW, and the current DC fast charging infrastructure is sized just right for them.

For comparison, Ionity, which prides itself on being the region’s leading ultra-fast charging network, has over 5,000 chargers capable of delivering up to 350 kW. But that’s not all, as the company is now installing 600 kW Alpitronic chargers that can be later upgraded to deliver 1,000 kW to a single EV.

Getting back to the Denza Z9GT, it’s billed as the first car sold in Europe with an opera-like entertainment experience. The automaker developed the Dolby Atmos-certified sound system in partnership with French audio specialist Devialet, making sure it delivers plenty of detail, clarity, and sound separation.

As for the specs, it’s quite the tech fest. The top-spec model is powered by a 122 kWh LFP battery that sends juice to three electric motors with a combined output of 960 horsepower. Meanwhile, the rear-wheel drive version can deliver up to 497 miles (800 kilometers) of WLTP range on a full charge.

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