BYD invents easy 1MW EV charger with hanging cables to build the largest megawatt charging network

After introducing the megawatt charging system for its newfangled 1000V electric vehicle architecture that brought in 32,000 rpm motors and 5-minute charging speeds, BYD is embarking on rolling out the upgraded charging piles.

It intends to build 4,000 of these on its own and has signed partnerships for 15,000 more, essentially making this the largest megawatt-level charging infrastructure in the world.

What's even more intriguing are the actual charging piles that the world's biggest EV maker has crafted with ease of use in mind. Instead of the usual Tesla Supercharger-style mount, the innovative T-shaped construction just hangs two heavy cables on a suspended pulley, which negates their heavy weight. The cable length is just enough so that the guns don't end up on the ground as they so often do, yet allows to reach each and every charging port location, no matter where the EV manufacturer placed it.

The new BYD megawatt charging system piles are high enough to fit most electric vehicles, and the two charging guns can work in parallel to deliver speeds that are unprecedented for the mass EV market. The peak output is 1360 kW, which allows drivers to add more than a mile of range per second of charging time and be ready with 200 more miles in the battery tank after just five minutes on the charger.

Since BYD is also the world's second-largest battery maker, it is also backing the liquid-cooled megawatt charging piles with an energy storage and release system that includes supercapacitors so that it can handle offloading in peak hours with cheaper electricity stored during off-peak times.

Tesla is also building a megawatt charging network for its Semi trucks by leveraging its North American Charging Standard specifications that allow for 1.2 MW peaks. The standard V4 Supercharger piles that it currently installs, however, peak at 500 kW, and it only has one vehicle with a relatively modern 800V powertrain architecture to take advantage, the Cybertruck. The electric pickup, however, is powered by Tesla's own 4680 battery cells, whose charging curve still leaves a lot to be desired, so it takes much longer to charge than a 1000V BYD vehicle.

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