2,200 kW charging: Geely wants to recharge EVs in just minutes

When it comes to electric cars, the competition is no longer just about range, but increasingly about charging times as well. Chinese automaker Geely is now setting a new benchmark in this race: The new “AI Smart Charging” station is said to deliver up to 2,200 kW, or 2.2 MW, per connector. For comparison: BYD's Flash Charging system delivers a maximum of 1.5 MW, while Tesla's Megacharger, designed for electric trucks, tops out at just 1.2 MW. Geely unveiled the new charging technology at an event in China. Sina Auto (in Chinese) subsequently provided a detailed summary of the presentation and published the most important technical details.

Geely is also using an AI-powered charging management system called PowerMind. Among other things, the system is designed to monitor current, battery temperature and cooling performance while predicting temperature changes around 30 seconds in advance. Geely says this should enable high charging rates without putting unnecessary strain on the battery. However, it is not yet possible to assess how well this actually works based solely on the manufacturer's claims.

2.2 MW on paper, 1.1 MW in practice

The all-electric Lynk & Co 10 sports sedan is said to have charged from 10% to 70% in around 4 minutes and 30 seconds using AI Smart Charging. Charging from 10% to 97% reportedly took just 8 minutes and 40 seconds. The actual peak charging power reached during the session was around 1.1 MW – significantly below the charging station's maximum capability.

The 2.2 MW figure therefore describes the capability of the charging infrastructure – not what every connected vehicle can actually accept. Another example illustrates this: Geely's updated Galaxy E5 is expected to be one of the first production models to benefit from the new technology. The more powerful variants use an 800-volt architecture and a 6C battery. However, maximum DC charging power is limited to around 460 kW. According to reports, the SUV takes around 8 minutes and 25 seconds to charge from 10% to 70%.