BYD starts rollout of 1MW charging network

The race to make electric cars as easy to refuel as gas-powered ones took a giant leap forward. BYD has officially started installing its new "megawatt flash charging" stations across China, shifting the company from talking about fast charging to actually putting the tools in the ground for drivers to use. Industry experts at Deutsche Bank believe this rollout will help the company sell 4.9 million vehicles in 2026 - a 6% increase from the year before.

The new charging stations look very different from the ones you might be used to. They feature a bright cyan exterior and a unique T-shaped design. Instead of heavy cables lying on the dirty ground, the cables hang down from the top of the structure. This design uses a special pulley system that makes the heavy cords feel light. It prevents people from tripping and keeps the equipment clean. BYD wants these eye-catching blue stations to become a famous symbol of their brand - much like a certain fast-food chain's golden arches.

The technology itself is impressive. These stations are the first in the world designed specifically for passenger EVs to use a full megawatt of power - that's 1,000 kW going into your car. The system uses three "thousand" markers to set records: 1,000V, 1,000A, and 1,000 kW of power. Some versions can even reach a peak output of 1,360 kW. This allows a car to add about 1.2 miles of driving range for every single second it is plugged in. In just five minutes, a driver could add 249 miles of range to their battery.

To keep things from getting too hot while moving all that electricity, the system uses liquid cooling. This works like a radiator in a car, pumping fluid through the cables and the charging gun to prevent overheating. BYD also uses "dual-gun" technology. This means one car can plug into two hoses at the same time to get power even faster. This hardware is part of what BYD calls its "Super e-Platform," which includes BYD's latest blade batteries and high-tech computer chips made of silicon carbide.

Building these stations is not cheap, which is why BYD has been slow to roll out its own network until now. In the past, the company focused on making EVs affordable by letting other companies handle the charging. But to keep growing, BYD realizes it must provide its own reliable power. The company plans to build 4,000 of these "flash" facilities soon, working with partners like Xiaoju Charging and LongShine to build an additional 15,000 stations in the long run. This creates a multi-layered network of big flagship stations, smaller satellite spots, and chargers inside local neighborhoods.

BYD is also thinking about the health of the electric grid. The stations have a "peak shaving" feature - they can store electricity in large batteries when people aren't using much power, like in the middle of the night. Then, when everyone wants to charge their electric cars at the same time during the day, the station uses that stored energy, keeping the local power grid from crashing while still giving drivers the 1MW blast of power they need.

The company is already testing a second generation of this technology. The newer stations might reach a massive 2,100 kW of output. The current focus is on China, but the rest of the world will see these cyan towers soon. BYD plans to build around 3,000 fast-charging stations across Europe by the end of 2026.

Many people hesitate to buy electric cars because they are worried about how long it takes to charge. By bringing "flash charging" to the masses, BYD is trying to prove that a quick five-minute stop is all you need to get back on the road.

Via