The Chinese company BYD shook the automotive market by announcing a new ultra-fast charging battery, capable of charging in just five minutes, thanks to a system that allows receiving up to 1,000 kW of power, providing a range of 500 kilometers. This advancement significantly surpasses Tesla’s superchargers, which require 15 minutes to offer just over 270 kilometers.
The news boosted BYD’s stocks by 4.1% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, reaching a new record, while Tesla dropped over 5% in the same week. Investors like Warren Buffett highlighted the potential of this innovation to strengthen the Chinese brand’s global leadership.
The models that will debut this ultra-fast charging will be the sedan Han L and the SUV Tang L, as announced by founder Wang Chuanfu. BYD explained that they have achieved this speed without damaging the battery thanks to a reduction in internal resistance and the use of state-of-the-art silicon carbide chips.
Although the innovation represents a significant technological leap, it also brings challenges: the increase in manufacturing costs, the price of chargers, and doubts about the possible reduction in battery life.
A network of ultra-fast charging on the way
To accompany this technology, BYD plans to install 4,000 fast charging stations throughout China. In comparison, a domestic plug delivers 2.3 kW, and current fast chargers are around 300 kW, far below the power promised by BYD.
With this move, the brand not only consolidates itself as the world’s largest manufacturer of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles but also challenges Tesla’s hegemony in the sector. The future of electric mobility seems increasingly Chinese… and faster.
BYD electric cars. Photo: Wikipedia.
The consumer fever for electric cars accelerates the energy transition in China
It was reported that the Chinese BYD surpassed Tesla for the first time as the top seller of electric cars in the world, with over half a million units sold in the fourth quarter of 2023 worldwide.
This was contributed to by the enormous ripple effect of Chinese subsidies. The start of the aid was forged around the figure of Wan Gang, the Father of the Electric Vehicle. In 2000, this former Audi executive, following a letter to the Chinese State Council, laid the technological foundations of the electric automotive industry from Tongji University. Together with Shanghai’s powerful and innovative automotive sector, he included in this strategy the manufacture of batteries. These two factors gave rise to the current electric car spiral.
The rest of the success must be sought in the doctrine instilled since the beginning of the millennium with the Made in China 2025 slogan, which established industrial stimulus measures in five-year plans, and initiatives like the Silk Road, where energy partners – especially Russia and Saudi Arabia – Beijing places electric cars within its demand to reduce its high dependence on fossil fuels: “China will no longer be the guarantor of global oil demand as in the last ten years; this is the significant impact the world should start to understand immediately,” warns Ciaran Healy of the IEA.
Photo: Energías Renovables.
