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Highlights
- ⚡ Significant Barrier: Charging times for EVs are cited as the biggest challenge to their adoption.
- 🚀 New Technology: BYD’s “super e-platform” can dramatically reduce charging times to five minutes for substantial range.
- ⚡ Lead in Sales: BYD has overtaken Tesla as the leading EV manufacturer in terms of volume.
- 💡 Game-Changing Chargers: The new chargers will charge at 1,000 kW, significantly outpacing current market offerings.
- 🌍 Market Limitations: BYD’s advanced EVs will currently only be available in China, with limited U.S. presence due to regulatory barriers.
- 📉 Range Adjustments: Real-world range may vary significantly when applying strict U.S. EPA standards.
- 🔄 Future Licensing Potential: There is potential for U.S. manufacturers to license BYD’s technology, which may boost EV adoption rates.
“Our goal is to make EV charging as fast as refueling a gasoline car,” said BYD chairperson Wang Chuanfu.
BYD says it plans to build more than 4,000 of the new megawatt chargers, and customers will be able to make use of them with a pair of new EVs (the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV), which will go on sale shortly. But only in China.
While the brand sells its EVs in other markets, notably Europe, its presence in the US is limited to batteries and electric buses, and members of Congress from both political parties have been working over the past couple of years to prevent BYD or other Chinese EV makers from entering the US market.
We should also note that the “250 miles” would decrease significantly when using the EPA range estimate rather than the more generous CLTC testing regime used in China. But even under the EPA scheme, BYD’s new charging platform sounds like a step above anything else being offered for passenger EVs.
Read the full post at Ars Technica.
