A new piece of electric vehicle (EV) battery technology is promising to provide up to 470 km of driving range in just five minutes. Chinese automaker BYD has recently revealed its Super E-Platform, which allows for charging speeds of up to 1000kW.
A five-minute charge at 1000kW can provide an extra 400km of range, or more than one kilometre per second on charge,” said BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu.
Most current EVs use 400-volt or 800-volt systems. For example, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Porsche Taycan can charge at up to 350kW, while the BYD Seal, available in Australia, has a maximum charging capacity of 150kW. BYD’s new platform far surpasses these speeds.
Current Limitations
To support this new technology, BYD plans to install more than 4000 ultra-fast charging stations in China. However, most public chargers today cannot reach 1MW, so it may take time before this technology is widely available.
The first cars to feature this new system are the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV. The Han L starts at 270,000 Yuan (59,159.05). It has a 500kW rear motor with an 83.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.
A high-performance version with all-wheel drive and 810kW of power can go from 0-100km/h in just 2.7 seconds and costs 350,000 Yuan ($76,690.98). The Tang L SUV, which has a larger 100.5kWh battery, starts at 280,000 Yuan ($61,357.18) and goes up to 360,000 Yuan ($77,950).
Australia May Have to Wait for Now
While this ultra-fast charging is an exciting step forward, Australian drivers may have to wait before they can use it. According to PlugShare, there are fewer than 40 charging stations in the country capable of delivering up to 350kW, far below BYD’s new 1MW standard.
With this breakthrough, BYD is bringing EVs closer to the convenience of petrol cars. If ultra-fast charging stations become more common, switching to an electric car could be easier than ever.
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