BYD Super e-Platform sets new standard in EV charging

• BYD’s new Super e-Platform is claimed to add 250 miles of range in five minutes of charging
• The platform features a 1,000-volt electrical architecture
• The platform debuts soon in BYD EVs priced from about $37,000

China’s BYD, the world’s leader in electrified vehicles, is pushing the boundaries when it comes to EV charging, with its latest technology claimed to deliver charge times almost as quick as filling up a gas car.

BYD, on Tuesday at a launch event in Shenzhen, revealed the Super e-Platform, which the company claims can charge at rates of up to 1,000 kw—enough to add 400 kilometers of range, or nearly 250 miles, in five minutes of charging. This estimate is likely based on the CLTC test cycle used in China, a more lenient cycle than what the EPA uses.

There aren’t many charging stations that can deliver charging rates that high, but BYD plans to roll out some of its own. The company said it plans to build over 4,000 charging stations across China, delivering rates of 1,000 kw or more. BYD also said it has developed a liquid-cooled charger that can deliver a maximum rate of 1,360 kw.

“To completely eliminate users’ charging anxiety, our goal is to make EV charging as fast as refueling a gasoline car—achieving oil-electric parity in charging speed,” Wang Chuanfu, BYD’s chairman and president, said in a statement.

The key to the high-speed charging is the Super e-Platform’s 1,000-volt electrical architecture and silicon carbide power chip with a voltage rating of up to 1,500 volts. Fellow Chinese automaker Nio has come close with its 900-volt setup in the ET9, while Volkswagen Group is readying a high-performance EV platform with a 980-volt electrical architecture, though it isn’t expected to be ready until late this decade. It is being developed by Porsche and will also be used by Audi, Bentley, and Lamborghini.

There are still some unknowns, though. It’s not clear what type of battery chemistry is used in the Super e-Platform or the maximum sustained rates during charging. BYD also hasn’t said how big the batteries in the Super e-Platform will be.

The Super e-Platform is entering production soon, but it won’t be limited to high-end models with limited production. It will initially be available in the BYD Han L sedan and Tang L SUV, priced from about 270,000 renminbi (approximately $37,000 at current exchange rates). For these models, the platform will feature a single motor rated at 778 hp and able to rev to 30,000 rpm.