Charging your EV as quickly as filling your gas tank? That’s the goal, right? The brass ring, the tipping point that surely will make electric vehicles as compelling a choice, if not more so, than their internal-combustion counterparts. We’ve yet to get very close.
But Chinese automaker BYD may have figured it out. It says it has developed a new battery and charging system designed to dramatically cut electric-vehicle charging times, allowing for electric “fill-ups” in as little as five minutes.
The company unveiled its second-generation Blade Battery alongside a 1,500-kW charging system called FLASH Charging. Put together and in optimal conditions, BYD says the technologies allow compatible vehicles to recharge from 10% to 70% in about five minutes and from 10% to 97% in roughly nine. Even in subzero temperatures the system can charge a battery from 20% to 97% in about 12 minutes.
Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD, said during the unveiling that automakers must address lingering concerns about charging speed and reliability if EV adoption is to expand further.
1,500-kW charging system called FLASH Charging.
BYD says the Blade Battery 2.0 improves both charging speed and energy density, and increases energy density by about five percent compared with the original version, enabling driving ranges of more than 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) under China’s CLTC test cycle, which could translate to well north of 400 miles EPA.
The mechanism behind such an improvement is what BYD is calling a “FlashPass” ion transport system, which uses specially designed cathode, electrolyte, and anode that reduce internal resistance and heat buildup and allow for faster lithium-ion movement within the battery.
The battery is reportedly safer and more durable. BYD says it passed safety tests including simultaneous flash charging and nail-penetration testing without thermal runaway, smoke, or fire.
The charging hardware itself is designed to be easier to use than conventional stations. BYD’s FLASH Charger features a T-shaped overhead cable system that keeps connectors off the ground and allows drivers to plug in more easily.
BYD has already installed more than 4,200 of the new charging stations in China and plans to deploy about 20,000 by the end of the year. The stations include energy-storage systems that help deliver ultra-high charging power even where local electrical grids may have limitations.
The first vehicle expected to use the new technology in Europe will be the Denza Z9GT, a premium electric wagon from BYD’s luxury sub-brand Denza. Additional details about international rollout plans for the charging network are expected later.
But for a couple of sketchy, short-lived gigs right out of college, Natalie Neff has had the good fortune to spend the entirety of her professional life around cars. A 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 1972 VW Beetle, 1999 Ducati Monster and a well-loved purple-and-white five-speed Schwinn currently call her garage home.
