China is starting to measure EV charging times in seconds, not minutes
6 hours ago
- Chinese EVs like BYD's Blade 2.0 and Geely's Golden Brick can charge from 10-70% in under 5 minutes, with Geely achieving 4 minutes 22 seconds.
- CATL and FAW have announced batteries that charge from 10-80% in under 4 minutes, though not yet in production vehicles.
- The race for fast charging now treats seconds as the key metric, highlighting a shift from minutes to seconds.
- Ultra-fast charging reduces land use by increasing throughput at charging stations, benefiting urban areas without home charging.
- In the US, the fastest chargers (e.g., Hyundai/Kia E-GMP) take about 18 minutes for 10-80%, while China offers similarly fast cars for under $30,000.
- China leads in charging infrastructure with 1,500kW chargers from BYD, Geely, and Dongfeng, with BYD planning 20,000 units by year end.
- US charging infrastructure lags due to policy roadblocks, including Republican-led funding pauses and bans on Chinese components.