Chinese EV giant BYD is preparing to roll out an ultrafast charging network across Europe as a part of its drive to realize ground within the region’s electric vehicle market, Automotive News Europe reports.
Citing comments made at at a press briefing in Brussels, Stella Li, BYD’s vp and head of Europe, is reported as confirming that the corporate will partner with local infrastructure providers while also installing high-power chargers at its own dealerships. “This can be a game changer that can boost consumer confidence in electric driving,” Li said.
The rollout will include next-generation megawatt flash chargers able to delivering as much as 1,000 kilowatts of power – enabling charging times as little as five minutes for 400 to 470 km of range, depending on the vehicle and battery configuration. These chargers are set to enrich the European launch of BYD’s latest Super e platform models, including the Han L and Tang L.
In China, BYD has already introduced flash-charging battery technology that may deliver 400 km of range in five minutes at 1 megawatt peak output. For now, that system is simply available within the Chinese market, nevertheless it signals the direction BYD is taking globally.
Ian Plummer, business director at Auto Trader, commenting on the news, said: “While most drivers rarely require rapid refueling on long trips, the perception of parity with ICE refueling times stays a psychological hurdle to wider BEV adoption. With this daring step, BYD is aiming to shut that gap.”
He noted the ramping up of the competitive landscape. Tesla has already developed charging infrastructure while Ionity, the European charging consortium backed by OEMs including BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, plans to start out deploying 600-kW stations sthis yr.
A BYD spokesperson confirmed Li’s comments to Automotive News Europe, but said further details on timing and rollout locations can be announced at a later stage.
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
