Chinese EV maker BYD plans to introduce its Flash Charge ultra-fast charging technology technology into Europe that enables an EV to be charged to 400km range in five minutes.
BYD executive vice president Stella Li told Bloomberg UK that it will be working with its existing charging company and BYD dealers on rolling out a European Flash Charge network, with installations staring within the next 12 months.
BYD launched the Super e-Platform in March this year, which features flash-charging batteries, a 30,000 RPM motor, and new silicon carbide (SiC) power chips. The platform upgrades the core electric components, achieving a charging power of 1 megawatt (1,000 kW) and a peak charging speed of 2km per second, making it the fastest for mass-produced vehicles - five minutes of charging for 400km of range.
The manufacturer says that, despite advancements in EV technology, 'charging anxiety' is still a major concern, and that the ultimate solution is to make charging as quick as refueling a gasoline car.To achieve this, ultra-high voltage and current are necessary. BYD says the Super e-Platform is the world's first mass-produced "full-domain 1000V high-voltage architecture" for passenger vehicles. It brings the battery, motor, power supply, air conditioning, and other components up to 1000V.
Li told Bloomberg UK that BYD plans to build its European headquarters and R&D centre in Hungarian capital Budapest with initial investment of around E3bn, and further investments in Europe of E10-20bn in the next ten years.
She added that BYD is an engineering-centred company and employs 120,000 R&D engineers.
