As part of its “Flash Charging China” initiative, multinational manufacturing company BYD Auto has deployed 6,682 ultra-fast chargers across 321 cities in China. Each connector puts out 1,500 kW, allowing compatible batteries to reach 97% charge from 10% in about nine minutes.
The campaign hit 5,000 stations in under a month earlier this year, though deployment has since slowed. The year-end target of 20,000 stations, however, is still in place.
None of this progress is coming to the US, though, as BYD is on a federal blacklist over alleged ties to the Chinese military, which keeps its cars, chargers, and the company itself from the American market. Not to mention trade legislation targeting Chinese EVs has only been tightening further.
Compounding the issue is a significant hardware mismatch. Tesla Superchargers deliver 250 kW per stall while the fastest commercial fast chargers in the US top out at around 350 kW. Most American EVs, therefore, aren’t built to handle BYD-level current (1500 kW), and the grid largely couldn’t support them even if they were
BYD has, in the meantime, been expanding elsewhere in North America. Mexico and Canada are both opening their doors, with new charging infrastructure and car sales already rolling out, giving local customers a head start on this ultra-fast technology.
Crossing the border to grab one isn’t a workaround either, as US federal law bars Chinese EVs from American roads, regardless of where the car was purchased. While a handful of American firms are pursuing faster-charging technology, none of them come close to the nine-minute mark.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to say which is going to catch up first, the technology or the politics. For now, both are moving just as slowly.
Sources: BYD, Department of War, BBC, Autoblog, Electrek