1,000-V “Super E-Platform” Fast-Charges 400 km in 5 Minutes

What you’ll learn:

• Passenger EV charging stations will soon deliver charging speeds that are on par with gas station refueling times.
• China’s BYD says its 1-MW EV charging architecture can provide energy for 400 km (nearly 250 miles) of CLTC range in five minutes.
• BYD’s new high-performance motors can spin at over 30,000 rpm, providing an output of up to 777 hp.

Ground zero in the war to win the hearts and minds of EV buyers today are passenger vehicles that can charge nearly as quickly as gas vehicles refuel. Charging times and limited range are still cited as some of the main reasons people are reluctant to buy EVs. Recently, however, Chinese automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) may have taken a huge step closer to making EV charging as easy as filling up with gas.

According to the company, its new super E-platform chargers can add almost 250 miles of range, on the optimistic CLTC (China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cyle) drive cycle, to an electric vehicle in five to eight minutes. Thanks to a 945-V electrical architecture, BYD’s 1,000-kW chargers—4X as powerful as Tesla's current 250-kW chargers—can replenish range at a rate of 2 km (1.2 miles) per second. By comparison, current EVs with the highest charging power are the 800- or 900-V systems available on Lucid vehicles.

The ultra-fast charging technology is set to make its debut on the company's new Han L sedan (Fig. 1) and Tang L SUV (Fig. 2) EVs. Base price of the sedan is around US$37,300, while the SUV starts at roughly $38,700. BYD’s Han L and Tang L all-electric models are available for pre-order right now, just not in the U.S.

Blade Batteries

The Super E-Platform powertrain system includes blade-style batteries, high-performance electric motors, and “a new generation’’ of silicon-carbide (SiC) power chips that can handle voltage levels of up to 1,500 V. The Blade battery uses lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry and is said to absorb up to 1.25 miles (2 km) of range per second, at a 10C rate, of charging. 

The C-rate is the unit used to measure the speed at which a battery is fully charged or discharged. Charging at a C-rate of 1C means that the battery is charged from 0-100% in 1 hour. A 10C rating means it can charge to full in one-tenth the time.

At the moment, only two of BYD’s cars have the kind of batteries required to take in 1,000 kW. In comparison, Level 3 EV charging, also known as DC fast charging, accommodates a voltage of 200 V up to 1,000 V while a Tesla Supercharger can provide up to 500 V. As a result, DC fast charging is generally only available for commercial or industrial electrical infrastructure with EV charger installation training and certification specifically for these chargers.

BYD Uses a New Electric Motor

Both the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV are equipped with high-revving motors, with the rear motor spinning at 30,511 rpm—the highest for any mass-produced electric motor to date. Expect this powerhouse to crank out up to 778 hp (586 kW), enough to accelerate the Han L or Tang L from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.7 and 3.6 seconds, respectively.

Single-motor rear-wheel-drive vehicles built on the new platform will deliver 671 hp. Dual motors will pair the new high-performance motor with a smaller 308-hp unit driving the front wheels for a combined output of 1,084 hp.

The 83.2-kWh LFP battery pack mated to the updated RWD Han L EV is said to be capable of over 430 miles of CLTC range on a single charge.

Super-Duper Charger

A network of more than 4,000 Super-E charging facilities are expected to be built in China, which will reportedly also feature energy-storage banks. Thus, drivers can tap into 1,000-kW charging even in areas that don’t have enough power in the grid.

“Some people still don’t believe it or have doubts. But BYD’s style has always been—mass production as soon as it is released. 500 units of 1000 kW charging stations will be available [operational] in April [2025]”— Li Yunfei, BYD Brand General Manager

To handle the high voltages, BYD also had to produce a new generation of SiC power chips, capable of handling up to 1,500 V.

Unlike regular EV chargers, these new high-powered units can't simply be installed anywhere. They demand substantial electrical capacity to operate at full capacity. The chargers may require more direct access to high-voltage mains, limiting their deployment to locations with robust grid infrastructure.

According to the company, tests have shown that the vehicles’ battery packs can still draw 600 kW even at a 90% state of charge (SOC)—typically when most EV chargers slow down for safety reasons. 

While there isn’t any data at present on how consistent fast charging might affect battery longevity, the general consensus is that consistent rapid charging does come at the cost of gradual battery degradation. However, BYD’s Blade technology uses LFP batteries that have proven more resilient to temperature extremes.

Other Developments in China

Elsewhere, BYD’s Chinese rivals Zeekr, CATL, and Nyobolt last year unveiled batteries that could almost fully charge in 10 minutes. Zeekr upgraded its LFP batteries and opened over 500 fast charging stations in China, all of which can support 800-V charging.

Zeekr plans to be operating over 10,000 ultra-fast charging piles—power-supply devices that convert electricity from the grid into a standardized form used to charge electric vehicles—in 2026. At temperatures as low as −10°C, the system is said by the company to charge from 10% SOC to 80% SOC within just 30 minutes.

Last June, Nyobolt demoed its next-generation patented carbon and metal-oxide anode materials in a prototype EV engineered in collaboration with Julian Thomson and CALLUM’s design and engineering teams. The battery charged up to 80% from 10% in four and a half minutes using a 350-kW charger, achieving a range of about 120 miles. 

Nyobolt’s EV battery modules are cooled via cold plates with a water/glycol mix. The battery circuit uses an AC compressor and condenser plus a battery chiller. The limited heat generation—said to be no more than 60°C during a fast charge—is influenced in the main by very low impedance cell chemistry.

Last April, the Chinese battery giant CATL unveiled its 4C Shenxing Plus battery, which it said could provide over 400 km of range after 10 minutes of charging.

The cathode of the Shenxing Plus battery is made with what the company describes as a “granular gradation technology”: Each nanometer particle is placed in the best position to achieve ultra-high density. A proprietary 3D honeycomb-shaped material is added to the anode, boosting the energy density while effectively controlling the volume expansion during charge and discharge cycles. 

The Shenxing battery system's energy density surpasses the 200-Wh/kg threshold, reaching 205 Wh/kg, which makes ranges over 1,000 km a reality.  

Shenxing Plus applies a fast lithium-ion conductive coating, transition metal elements, and new encapsulation, resulting in more efficient energy transmission between cathode and anode materials.