Many drivers considering switching from internal combustion engine (ICE) to electric are turned off by the thought of waiting around while their car charges. Even with the best fast chargers available, EV drivers are still looking at 20-40 minutes to reach 80% capacity and hours for full capacity. Chinese automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) claims its new Super e-Platform can add up to 400km (249 miles) of range in just five minutes, aiming to rival the speed of refuelling gas-powered cars. But does this ultra-fast charging tech deliver a true breakthrough, or is it just flashy engineering?
Physics and engineering
To add 400km of range in five minutes, as BYD claims, requires pushing the boundaries of current charging technology. For context, a typical Tesla Model 3 with a 63kWh battery achieving a range of about 400km would require delivering approximately 500-600kW of power to add that range in five minutes, assuming high efficiency. BYD’s 1-megawatt charging system claims to achieve this, but it’s a significant leap from today’s fastest chargers at 150-350kW.
High-power charging generates significant heat across the entire system, from the charger’s cables to the battery pack. Companies are already designing modular thermal and power management systems that can be integrated into next-generation EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment). These solutions include dynamic load balancing and intelligent cooling that adapts in real-time to prevent overheating during ultra-fast charges. Without such innovations, scaling to megawatt-level charging becomes unfeasible.
Excessive heat can degrade battery life or, in some rare cases, pose a significant fire risk. Effective cooling systems are critical, as demonstrated by early EVs like the second-generation Nissan Leaf, which lacked battery cooling and could only fast-charge once daily due to overheating and the need to spend a whole day waiting for the battery to cool down enough to handle another fast charge. Modern EVs incorporate advanced cooling, and some even have pre-heating to optimise charging. However, scaling the technology to megawatt levels remains a real challenge.
Lithium-ion batteries can handle fast charging, but the process stresses the battery’s cells. Charging at such high rates requires precise balancing to ensure all cells charge uniformly to avoid any battery or lifecycle degradation. Emerging technologies like solid-state batteries promise faster charging and higher energy density, but they are not yet in commercial vehicles, leaving manufacturers like BYD reliant on existing chemistries.
BYD’s claim of a five-minute superfast charge is probably hinged on optimised lithium-ion batteries, possibly bringing into play BYD’s proprietary Blade Battery, which in itself is known for being safe and efficient. Without breakthroughs in materials or cooling, though, charging a battery to 100% in five minutes will still most likely have a negative impact on the battery’s longevity, which is why an 80% charge in five minutes would be a more realistic target.
Will BYD’s promise of a five-minute charge prove a game-changer for the industry?
While BYD’s Blade Battery is known for safety and efficiency, repeated ultra-fast charging will still test its limits. Without real-world proof that its thermal management and cell design can handle the stress without compromising longevity, consumer confidence could falter. Demonstrating durability at scale will be just as critical as achieving the five-minute charge itself.
Can the grid handle it?
Even if BYD has solved the technical challenges, there’s still the matter of infrastructure. And this is where things get really interesting. A single charger delivering 1,000kW (1MW), as BYD’s Super e-Platform requires to add 400km of range in five minutes, would consume roughly the same amount of power as 450-500 homes. That’s equivalent to a small residential substation. Now imagine a charging station with multiple ultra-fast chargers. Most existing electrical substations aren’t even designed to handle the kind of load that fast charging would bring, especially if multiple vehicles are charging simultaneously. Sudden, massive draws of power might destabilise local electrical grids without proper management systems in place, and building this infrastructure isn’t cheap. A standard EV charging pack, including installation, costs around £800-£1,500 (US$1,081-US$2,028). As a result, ultra-fast chargers would likely run into tens or even hundreds of thousands each, especially after factoring in all of the other necessary components, such as cooling systems, reinforced cabling and substation upgrades.
The immense power demands of ultra-fast charging, especially during peak hours, make deployment a challenge for utility providers. Without advanced grid management, simultaneous high-load charging could destabilise local infrastructure. One promising solution is Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, which enables EVs to return energy to the grid, helping to stabilise demand. If integrated effectively, V2G could transform ultra-fast charging from a grid burden into a flexible energy asset.
Convenience or just a gimmick?
BYD’s claim of adding 400km of range in five minutes is aimed at convincing ICE car drivers to switch to EVs by replicating the convenience and speed of their everyday fuelling experience. That said, though, there are legitimate use cases where ultra-fast charging makes sense. About half the population in many countries lacks off-street parking, making home charging impossible. For these drivers, public charging that mimics the gas station experience could be compelling.
Drivers without any off-street parking, which in the UK is around 30% of households, could use ultra-fast chargers to provide an ICE-like solution, allowing quick top-ups at public stations. But most EV drivers charge at home or when they get into work, where slow, overnight charging is cheaper and more convenient. Rapid chargers are typically used for longer journeys, where a 10–20 minute stop is often needed, which undermines the need for speedy five-minute charging.
Ultra-fast chargers being expensive to use, given the associated infrastructure costs that will come with them, could widen the gap between early adopters and lower-income drivers, making EVs less accessible unless subsidised. Conversely, mimicking gas station convenience might attract hesitant drivers, but only if chargers are widely available.
Taxis, delivery vehicles and ride-sharing services might benefit enormously from five-minute charging, maximising vehicle utilisation, but repeated ultra-fast charging could degrade the battery life of their working vehicles. This would also be a concern for cost-conscious consumers. While modern EVs are designed to mitigate this, BYD must prove its 1-megawatt charging system preserves battery longevity to avoid consumer backlash, especially given the high currents involved.
We may be witnessing the beginning of a charging speed arms race
The practical value of BYD’s five-minute chargeris limited by cost, availability and the fact that most drivers simply do not really need it. The real elephant in the room is that ultra-fast charging will inevitably, to begin with at least, come with premium pricing due to the expenses of the required infrastructure. This raises questions about accessibility and whether the technology will widen the gap between early adopters and everyone else.
Competitive landscape
Perhaps BYD’s five-minute charger announcement is its way of flexing technological muscles to make the company stand out from the intense global competition that the EV space has. It could well be a way of trying to position itself as an innovator rather than a follower. Other Chinese automakers looking to expand and shake off any perceptions that they are just copying Western designs may well follow suit, and the timing is significant. With Western manufacturers like Porsche pushing charging speeds (currently up to 320kW), we may be witnessing the beginning of a charging speed arms race. But it’s worth asking whether this is the competition that best serves consumers.
China may currently hold an advantageous edge in battery technology, but Western manufacturers who are investing heavily will eventually catch up. Closing the gap requires not just research but scaling production and securing critical raw materials.
A step forward, but not a revolution
The key question remains: does five-minute charging address the core challenges of EV adoption? The biggest barriers remain cost, since EVs are still more expensive upfront than comparable gas vehicles; range, as many drivers want more range before they’ll consider switching; and charging access, as widespread, reliable charging infrastructure matters more than charging speed. BYD’s five-minute charge claim taps into a psychological barrier but it may be solving the wrong problem.
About the author: Dunstan Power is Director of EV charging design company Versinetic
