BYD’s Super e-Platform promises to match conventional fuelling speeds

BYD has lifted the lid on a new EV architecture that promises to match the refuelling speed of combustion-engined cars, and it’s calling it the ‘Super e-Platform’. 

Thanks to its 1 MW charging capacity, BYD says that drivers will soon be able to add two kilometres of range every second – representing a five-minute flash charge for 400km of driving.

“In order to completely solve our users’ charging anxiety, we have been pursuing a goal to make the charging time of electric vehicles as short as the refuelling time of petrol vehicles,” BYD founder Wang Chuanfu said from a Shenzhen launch event. 

This latest development addresses one of the biggest obstacles for prospective EV adopters – recharge times – and claims to deliver what BYD describes as ‘oil-electric parity’.

The Super e-Platform introduces a suite of innovations. Its newly upgraded motor, electronic control and battery system enable peak outputs of 580 kW, with early models – the HAN L and TANG L for the Chinese market – achieving a top speed exceeding 300 km/h. The motor itself can run at up to 30,000rpm, which BYD notes is a new benchmark for a mass-production electric vehicle.

Underpinning the higher current and voltage at these speeds is BYD’s self-developed ‘Flash Charging Battery’, featuring an ultra-fast ion channel to support a maximum charging current of 1,000A. To ensure the ecosystem can keep up, BYD also unveiled its liquid-cooled megawatt flash-charging station, offering a maximum output of 1,360 kW – another industry first, according to the company.

BYD has announced that it plans to build over 4,000 such stations throughout China. Yet, recognising the existing infrastructure, BYD says its new ‘dual-gun charging’ technology will instantly upgrade existing fast chargers and superchargers to support flash charging. For BYD, working alongside public charging networks is a key part of its strategy to broaden compatibility and accelerate adoption.