The electrification He continues taking his steps in the car park. A few years ago there were those who thought that it would go faster than it is going and others who were on the other side of the coin not believing that seeing electric utility vehicles would be increasingly common on our roads. The truth is that there are many who still have a certain distrust and therefore alternatives such as hybrids continue to occupy a good part of the market.
One of the main reasons for distrust towards 100% electric vehicles lies in the autonomy and charging time. Charging an electric car today can be a bittersweet experience. When it’s time to travel, doubts begin: will there be a free outlet? Will it work? And most importantly, will I have to pay a fortune to fill the battery?
tesla has been showing for years that you can do well with your Superchargers. They are fast, reliable and, at least for their owners, quite reasonably priced. But now, from China, a competitor has arrived that promises to turn the table: BYDthe manufacturer that already sells more electric cars than tesla all over the world.
His new weapon is called flash charger, and it is not an incremental improvement. It’s a giant leap. While the most powerful ultra-fast chargers in Europe are around 350 kW or, at most, 500 kW, BYD’s Flash Chargers reach 1,500 kW. They triple the best Tesla. The result? What was once a stop to grab a bite to eat will soon be a stop to stretch your legs.
BYD’s plan to plant 300 ultra-fast plugs in Europe
BYD has been demonstrating for some time that its arrival in Europe and its commitment to electric vehicles was not a flash in the pan. And in his strategy in the Old Continent he does not beat around the bush. The Chinese company plans to install 300 of these mega-chargers in the UK by the end of 2027. But that’s just the beginning. Its objective for all of Europe is deploy around 3,000 units, placing a Flash Charger approximately every 50 kilometers on the main highways.
They don’t start from scratch. The company already has more than 4,000 of these chargers in operation in its native China, where the network has been operating at full capacity for some time. They already have the experience; Now it’s time to export it.
The question now would be what is special about these chargers to reach those kW and charge the car so quickly. They do not connect directly to the mains like a home socket. Each Flash Charger has its own battery associated with it. in the same position. That battery fills up at night, when electricity is cheaper. During the day, when a car arrives, the charger releases all the stored energy at onceas if emptying a tank instead of turning on a tap. By not depending on the electrical grid, you can afford those charging speeds without fear of melting down the neighborhood’s electrical grid.
1,500 kW: the otherworldly numbers and the fine print
As we see, it sounds almost like science fiction to be able to charge your car in record time and, although it is a reality, it has its buts.
With its maximum power of 1,500 kW, BYD ensures that it can charge one of its compatible cars from 10% to 70% in just five minutes. To give you an idea, going from 10% to 80% in an average Tesla with a V3 Supercharger can take you between 25 and 30 minutes. The difference is abysmal.
But beware, here comes the fine print. Those 1,500 kW cannot be used by any car. In fact, today, only sister brand cars can use them. Denza. Specifically, the new Denza Z9 GT (a sports family that will arrive in Europe in September) and two SUVs soon.
These cars have the second generation of BYD’s famous Blade batteriesand the most curious thing: they have two charging ports, one on each side. The 1,500 kW are distributed at 750 kW per port. For the rest of the electric cars with a single CCS port, the Flash Charger will work as a very fast charger, but not at that record speed.
Fast charging doesn’t have to be expensive: the price BYD is looking for
One may think that such speed and efficiency is paid for in gold. The director of the company in the United Kingdom, Bono Ge, has stated that his objective is for the price to be around 50 pence per kWh (about 0.58 euros). It’s almost half of what the competition charges.
How is it possible? Because they charge many more cars per day and, above all, because they buy electricity when it is cheap, store it in the batteries of the charger itself, and sell it during the day. The profit margin allows for a competitive price.
Where and when will we see these chargers?
BYD’s idea is smart: avoid fighting with paperwork and construction. Therefore, they are negotiating with large supermarket chains to install the chargers in their parking lots. Also with professional cargo operators (CPOs), who already have the location and permits.
If BYD achieves its goal, in two years charging an electric car will be as fast and cheap as pumping gasoline.
