BYD beating Tesla to 1000V EV system for 10-minute charging as it builds its own Supercharger network
The world's largest EV maker is preparing to one-up the competition by beating them to a 1000V powertrain architecture that will allow its premium models to add 200 miles of range in 5 minutes.
It will also have the charging infrastructure to match, as it is preparing to build out a network of powerful stalls in the style of Tesla's V4 Superchargers.
The first to get the record 1000V powertrain that beats both Tesla Cybertruck's 800V architecture, or the more advanced 900V systems of NIO or XPeng, will be the more premium BYD cars in the Dynasty series.
Not only will the 1000V architecture allow for less heat to be generated by the battery, hence unlock faster charging, but it will also bring more powerful electric motors in the same footprint. Every 100V increase, for instance, brings the ability to absorb 25 kW faster charging compared to the 800V baseline of the Cybertruck and others.
For future BYD cars equipped with the 1000V system, like the new Han sedan or Tang SUV facelifts that will be released later this month, this will mean adding 300km (186 miles) in just 5 minutes on the charger.
Needless to say, theoretical charging speeds mean little without the dedicated infrastructure to deliver all that power. That is why BYD will be building suitable charging stations on a mass scale, creating a network similar to Tesla's Superchargers, but with more powerful stalls.
The "above 5C" charging network of BYD will allow for a full charge to be delivered in as little as 10 minutes to suitable cars, and the dual-gun stalls it will comprise have already leaked.
As to why did BYD chose to school the competition like Tesla and others with a 1000V architecture, it seems that the marketing team decided that this will not only be beneficial in terms of the engineering advantages, but will also "look good in communications", such as the ads that BYD will launch when it announces the system next week.
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