Help CleanTechnica’s work via a Substack subscription or on Stripe.
Let’s get one factor out of the best way proper up entrance. I personal shares in BYD. Why? As a result of not like Tesla, BYD has an precise marketing strategy that entails manufacturing autos powered by electrical energy. Tesla appears content material to maintain flogging the identical horse — the Mannequin Y — ceaselessly.
The trajectory of BYD’s inventory worth has been up and down of late, largely because of political turmoil between the US and China. However in my estimation, will probably be the most important automaker on the earth by 2030. That being mentioned, anybody who follows my recommendation is a licensed idiot, as my observe report as an investor is dismal. Contemplate your self warned!
BYD is within the information loads currently, because it opens new markets and introduces new fashions on what looks as if an hourly foundation. Earlier this yr, it unveiled its Tremendous E-platform for electrical automobiles. What’s so tremendous about Tremendous-E? For starters, it’s based mostly on 1,000-volt structure. The primary manufacturing fashions based mostly on the brand new platform are the Han L EV and Tang L EV.
On the coronary heart of the brand new platform are new and improved Blade batteries that help ultra-fast charging, high-performance electrical motors, and a brand new technology of silicon carbide energy chips. BYD calls them “flash cost” batteries as a result of they’ve a 10C charging charge, the very best of any mass produced traction battery on the earth.
The “Tremendous E-platform” is able to 1000 kW of peak charging energy, making the automobiles that use it in a position so as to add 400 km (249 miles) of vary in 5 minutes, in keeping with BYD founder, Chairman, and CEO Wang Chuanfu. Keep in mind that each one vary data from Chinese language corporations is predicated on the extremely optimistic CLTC testing commonplace. On the whole, EPA vary estimates are about one third much less, because the Chinese language commonplace prioritizes decrease common speeds than the US mannequin.
BYD & Quick Charging
Quick charging know-how is the important thing to rising EV adoption, as it’s seen to assist guarantee EV drivers’ issues over with the ability to cost their automobiles rapidly. “With a purpose to utterly remedy our consumer’s charging anxiousness, we’ve been pursuing a purpose to make the charging time of electrical autos as quick because the refueling time of petrol autos,” Wang mentioned.
Megawatt charging is talked about loads for heavy-duty electrical vehicles that must replenish their massive batteries in the course of the obligatory break instances for drivers, which in Europe is a minimal of 45 minutes. However it’s seldom talked about when the dialog is about passenger autos. Mercedes has its ELF experimental electrical van that is ready to be charged both by a CCS or a MCS (megawatt) charger, however that car is just gathering knowledge that shall be included in future autos. The BYD megawatt-capable autos are right here at this time.
The corporate this month introduced plans to put in its so-called “flash chargers” in Europe and South Africa. In China, these flash chargers use two charging cables, however BYD flash chargers will use a single cable, Electrive says. It cites a report in Spanish by TestCoches, which claims, “At IAA Mobility 2025, an organization consultant confirmed that in Europe just one cable is required to achieve the 1,000 kW most DC charging energy. And naturally, the European commonplace connector, the CCS plug, stays in use.”
In her official speech on the IAA Mobility present, BYD Europe CEO Stella Li confirmed solely that BYD’s “flash charging” will arrive in Europe and that 200 to 300 stations are deliberate by the top of the second quarter of 2026. The quick charging know-how shall be primarily utilized by BYD’s premium Denza model, she prompt.
Electrive says, “Increasingly producers are presenting CCS charging capacities that transcend the usual 400 kW quick chargers presently in use. To satisfy the rising calls for of autos, charging station producers and their suppliers are stepping up.
“Alpitronic, for instance, permits as much as 600 kW per CCS connector from Phoenix Contact with its HYC1000 system. Phoenix Contact has already launched an upgraded connector able to delivering charging capacities of as much as 1,000 kW. These excessive values depend on new cooling ideas. It stays unclear whether or not BYD has developed the CCS connector utilized in its system in-house or depends on a provider.”
Cooling is a crucial facet of high-power charging. Transferring that many electrons in a brief time frame creates fairly a bit of warmth. Siemens this month launched its SiCharge Flex charging system that may ship an astonishing 1.68 MW of energy, however its charging factors are configured to allow cooling system connections even when they’re wall mounted.
BYD & South Africa
Electrive is additionally reporting that BYD intends to introduce is flash chargers to South Africa in 2026. The primary flash charging stations shall be put in at its quickly rising supplier community throughout the nation. The corporate expects to triple its supplier community by the top of subsequent yr by expansing past main cities to smaller cities and communities.
Extra chargers shall be put in alongside the nation’s main highways. “We wish to cowl 100% of the nation,” Li mentioned in an interview with TechCentral. “By the top of subsequent yr, we can have 200 or 300 flash charging stations in South Africa.”
The flash chargers, which have excessive energy calls for, shall be powered by a mix of electrical energy from the grid and photo voltaic power, in keeping with the report. The place enough grid capability is out there, the chargers shall be linked instantly. Nevertheless, the photo voltaic possibility will allow BYD to construct infrastructure exterior main city facilities, Li defined. BYD signed an settlement with South African electrical energy provider Eskom final month.
A number of hundred flash chargers have already been deployed in China this yr, and BYD has entered into a number of partnerships for additional growth, involving greater than 15,000 megawatt charging stations in China alone. In Europe, an preliminary community of a number of hundred charging stations is to be established in the midst of 2026, with 200 to 300 stations deliberate by the top of the second quarter.
Though BYD is investing in South Africa, the corporate has no present plans to construct its personal car or battery manufacturing facility. “Not at this level; we’re too new to the market,” Li mentioned within the interview. “We solely make investments [in manufacturing plants] the place we’ve a giant market. We’re new right here; we nonetheless want to know [the market more fully].”
The assault on electrical autos being carried out by the failed US administration is just not having a lot impact on the remainder of the world, as new applied sciences proceed to maneuver the EV revolution ahead. By the point America stops wanting within the rear view mirror, it could be too far behind to ever catch up.
Join CleanTechnica’s Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott’s in-depth analyses and excessive degree summaries, join our every day publication, and observe us on Google Information!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Wish to promote? Wish to counsel a visitor for our CleanTech Speak podcast? Contact us right here.
Join our every day publication for 15 new cleantech tales a day. Or join our weekly one on high tales of the week if every day is simply too frequent.
CleanTechnica makes use of affiliate hyperlinks. See our coverage right here.
CleanTechnica’s Remark Coverage