Denza brings super-fast charging to European luxury EV market

BYD, the biggest name in Chinese electric cars, is bringing its high-end brand, Denza, to the European luxury EV market. The company held a big event at the Palais Garnier in Paris to show off its newest EVs. The Chinese car makers are clearly serious about competing with European brands on their own territory. But the company is not just bringing new cars - it is bringing technology that promises to change how people think about EV charging.

The star of the show was the Denza Z9GT. This "shooting brake" station wagon looks sleek and sits very low to the ground. If you want to buy one, be prepared for a bit of a shock because you will need to save a lot of money - the price starts at $134,700. It is not a cheap car, but it offers many high-tech features for that price.

The Denza Z9GT is built on the e3 platform. Drivers can choose between a version that is purely electric and one that is a hybrid. The electric model is very fast. It can go from zero to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds. To help it in tight European corners, the rear wheels can move a little bit to help the driver turn through small spaces or sharp curves more easily.

Denza also showed the Denza D9 - a large luxury-focused MPV. While minivans are not usually the most exciting cars to look at, this one is designed for comfort and long family trips. The version coming to Europe is the D9 DM-i, which is a hybrid model.

This minivan can drive 130 miles using only the electricity in its battery. When the gas engine and the battery work together, it can go for a total of 590 miles before it needs a refill, making it a great choice for families who want to travel long distances without worrying about stopping for fuel or a charge.

But the biggest news during the official unveiling was not a car at all. It was the charging technology. BYD introduced a new 1,500-kW flash charging system. Most chargers for electric cars today are much slower than this one. This new system relies on the company's second-generation Blade Battery in the vehicle, designed specifically to handle a lot of power safely. The results are quite surprising for anyone used to waiting a long time for a battery to fill up.

The new flash charging system can fill a car's battery to 70% in only five minutes. If a driver wants a full 100% charge, they only need to wait nine minutes. If this technology works as planned, it could remove one of the biggest reasons people avoid EVs. Usually, people worry that charging takes too long, but nine minutes is very fast for a full tank of energy.

A fast charger is only useful if there are enough of them on the road, and thankfully BYD has a plan for that, too. The company wants to build 3,000 of these flash charging stations across Europe by the end of 2026. Around the whole world, they plan to have 6,000 of these stations. Building thousands of charging spots is a huge job and costs a lot of money, but Denza and BYD believe this is the best way to make people feel comfortable buying their electric cars.

Interior of the 2026 Denza Z9 GT - source: Denza/BYD

Denza wants to grow very quickly in the next few years with a plan to sell cars in more than 30 different European countries by the end of 2026. To do this, it will open more than 150 stores that will let people see the cars in person and learn about the brand. The company is starting in seven countries first, including France and Germany, since these are the places where people buy many luxury cars every year.

To make sure people remember the brand name, Denza has a new helper. Daniel Craig, the actor who played James Bond, is the company's global brand ambassador. The company hopes his famous face will make the brand feel more high-end and exciting to shoppers. Using a movie star is a common way for new companies to get attention when they enter a new market.

The European market is a tough place for new car brands. Companies like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been there for over a hundred years. Denza is the new kid on the block, but it is trying to win people over with speed and very fast charging. Will people trade their traditional luxury cars for these new Chinese EVs? With cars that charge in nine minutes and reach 62 mph in under three seconds, Denza is certainly making a loud entrance.

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