Chinese electric car manufacturing giant BYD has announced plans to bring its latest fast charging technology to the United Kingdom (UK), potentially cutting charging times from hours to minutes.
The development poses a serious challenge to one of the main advantages that gasoline-powered cars have over electric cars, fast refueling time.
The company announced that “Flash Charging” devices will arrive in the UK by the end of this year. This will allow compatible electric cars to recharge in minutes instead of hours.
The technology is already tested and fully operational in China, where BYD has installed thousands of charging stations nationwide.
According to company executives, the new chargers are capable of delivering up to 1.5 megawatts of power, making them among the fastest electric charging systems currently available. BYD claims that some of its newest electric vehicles can receive hundreds of miles of driving range after just a few minutes of charging.
The Chinese carmaker is expected to start rolling out between 200 and 300 charging stations across the UK by the end of 2026. The first locations are likely to be installed at dealers before expanding the network to other areas.
The development comes as BYD continues to strengthen its position in the British car market.
The UK has emerged as one of the company’s key overseas markets, with sales rising in recent years as consumers increasingly switch to electric and hybrid vehicles.
Industry experts believe ultra-fast charging could help address concerns about charging times and range anxiety, two major factors that have slowed the adoption of electric cars among some drivers.
BYD executives have argued that charging speeds comparable to refueling a gasoline car could remove one of the last barriers preventing wider acceptance of electric vehicles.
