Ready to go in 5 minutes, BYD’s Flash Charging stations are just as quick as filling up at the gas station. After opening the first stations in Europe and the UK, BYD’s new EV chargers may be even cheaper than Tesla Superchargers.
BYD opens first Flash EV Chargers in Europe and the UK
After revealing its new Blade Battery 2.0 and Flash Charging system in March, BYD has launched several vehicles equipped with the new tech, ranging from luxury electric supercars to some of its best-selling SUVs.
Now, China’s EV giant is bringing the breakthrough new technology overseas. After opening the first Flash Charger in Germany, BYD announced another went live on Tuesday, the first in the UK.
With the ability to deliver up to 1,500 kW of charging power, BYD’s Flash Charging stations are considerably more powerful than Tesla Superchargers. To give you a better idea, Tesla’s latest V4 Superchargers can deliver up to 500 kW.
BYD’s chargers could also be much cheaper than Tesla’s. According to Bono Ge, country manager for BYD UK, the company aims to charge around 50 pence per kW.
Ge told Autocar that “in the ideal situation, we want to be sub-50 pence per hour,” or what he calls “the sweet spot,” which would be significantly cheaper than most other fast charging networks, including Ionity and Tesla.
BYD would be able to offer such a low price because it can charge more EVs throughout the day than the competition, Ge explained, while using lower-cost energy.
The Flash Chargers draw power from batteries charged overnight via the grid during off-peak hours to reduce costs.
The company is already in talks with several supermarkets and other retailers in the area to install new Flash Chargers in their parking lots.
While any electric vehicle with a standard CCS charge port can use the chargers, only vehicles equipped with its new Blade Battery can receive the maximum output.
BYD’s first EV with the new tech, the Denza Z9 GT, is available to order in Europe, starting at around €115,000 ($134,500), including VAT.
“The introduction of the DENZA Z9GT in Europe marks a very important milestone for our brand,” BYD’s executive vice president, Stella Li, said, adding it’s “the perfect choice to introduce the principle of ‘Ready in 5, Full in 9, Cold Add 3’ to the world, as we start our global rollout of FLASH Charging in Europe.”
Vehicles equipped with BYD’s new battery system are “ready” to go, or recharged from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes. For a “full” recharge, or 10% to 97%, it takes just 9 minutes.
Even in temperatures as low as -30°C, it takes only 3 minutes longer, replenishing the battery from 20% to 97% in 12 minutes.”
BYD is offering 18 months of free Flash Charging to the first Denza buyers in the UK. By the end of 2026, the company plans to deploy 300 Flash Chargers across the UK and 3,000 across Europe.
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