China’s BYD says new EV charging system is as fast as filling a gas tank

Chinese EV giant BYD has claimed that its new charging system will recharge vehicles so quickly that it will take as much time as it takes to fill up a gas tank. with petrol.

BYD founder Wang Chuanfu announced that the electronic vehicle manufacturer will develop a network of charging spots across China for the first time. He said that the “super e-platform” will charge EVs at a speed of 1,000 kilowatts (kW), enabling them to travel 400km in a mere five minutes of charging.

A 1,000 kW charging speed would double the rate of Tesla’s latest Superchargers, which currently deliver up to 500 kW. Advancements in fast-charging technology are considered crucial for accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.

“In order to completely solve our users’ charging anxiety, we have been pursuing a goal to make the charging time of electric vehicles as short as the refuelling time of petrol vehicles,” Wang said.

Which cars will be equipped with this tech?

The founder said that BYD will initially roll out the “super e-platform” feature on two of its EVs –  Han L sedan and Tang L SUV priced from 270,000 yuan ($37,330).

The company said that it would build more than 4,000 ultra-fast charging piles, or units across the country to match the needs of the new platforms.

“This is the first time in the industry that the unit of megawatt (charge) has been achieved on charging power,” Wang said.

Bad news for Tesla?

The news comes as another setback for Tesla, which is already struggling. Its stock has taken a significant hit, dropping 15% on March 10 alone, following CEO Elon Musk’s public support for far-right movements in Europe and his decision to cut federal jobs while working with the Trump administration.

Since reaching a peak market value of $1.5 trillion in December, Tesla’s worth has nearly halved. The company has missed sales targets and faces mounting investor pressure to deliver on Musk’s long-standing promise of autonomous vehicles, a goal that has remained unfulfilled for nearly a decade. Meanwhile, competition is intensifying, particularly from more affordable EV models produced by BYD and other Chinese automakers.