EV charging in 10 minutes or less? It’s happening

EV battery leader CATL will challenge BYD after securing a new partnership to develop fast-charging technology that will take less than 10 minutes.

The race for 10-minute EV charging heats up

The days of waiting around for your electric vehicle to recharge are over. Waking up with a full charge every day is one of the best benefits of driving an EV, but what about those who need to use public charging stations?

Public EV charging has improved considerably over the past few years, with tech like Plug & Charge, faster speeds, and wider access.

Last month, BYD unveiled its breakthrough Blade Battery 2.0 and Flash Charging Technology, enabling EVs to recharge from 10% to 70% in just 5 minutes. To go from 10% to 97%, it takes 9 minutes, and even in temperatures as low as -30°C (-20°F), recharging from 20% to 97% takes only 12 minutes.

In the first week of April, BYD installed 193 fast-charging stations in China, bringing the total to 5,193 across 310 cities.

BYD’s flash charging stations can deliver up to 1,500 kW, or 50% more power than its first-generation chargers. By the end of 2026, BYD plans to deploy 20,000 flash charging stations across China.

The company has already announced plans to bring its 10-minute flash charging tech overseas, including an initial wave in Europe.

After launching the Denza Z9 GT EV in Europe last week, BYD’s executive vice president Stella Li said the luxury electric shooting brake is “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.”

Meanwhile, BYD isn’t the only battery giant pushing for faster charging. CATL, the only company that ranks higher in global EV battery sales, announced this week a new partnership with SAIC-GM-Wuling Auto to develop fast-charging technology and battery-swap-compatible vehicles.

The new partnership aims to develop fast-charging technology that takes 10 minutes or less to charge the vehicle’s battery from 10% to 80%.

Sounds a little like BYD’s Flash Charging stations? CATL and SGMW said they will “jointly explore overseas market expansion” as they work together towards a “future of complementary energy freedom, win-win industry, and green sustainability.”

According to SNE Research, CATL led global EV battery sales in 2025, accounting for 39.2% of the market. BYD ranked second with a 16.4% market share.