BYD Co (HK:1211) will begin rolling out its newly unveiled megawatt fast charging technology by early April, as the company races to expand its lead in China’s electric vehicle (EV) market, executives announced in a Weibo (NASDAQ:WB) post on Wednesday.
According to the statement, BYD (SZ:002594) plans to deploy 4,000 megawatt fast charging stations, with the first batch of around 500 stations launching in early April. The company has yet to provide further comments.
Ultra-Fast Charging: A Game-Changer for EVs
Last week, BYD introduced its “super e-platform,” an advanced EV charging system that can fully charge vehicles almost as quickly as refueling a gas-powered car. The platform supports peak charging speeds of 1,000 kilowatts, allowing EVs to travel 400 km (249 miles) after just a 5-minute charge.
This speed is nearly twice as fast as Tesla’s superchargers, which currently max out at 500 kW. Fast charging has become a critical focus for automakers as range anxiety and charging convenience remain key concerns for EV adoption.
BYD Expands Charging Infrastructure in China
For the first time, BYD has announced plans to build its own charging network in China, though specific locations for the initial rollout were not disclosed.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) already operates superchargers in China, while other local EV makers, including Nio (NYSE:NIO), Li Auto (NASDAQ:LI), and Xpeng (NYSE:XPEV), have also been expanding their own charging networks.
