BYD's new battery goes from 10 to 97 percent in just 9 minutes and promises over 620 miles of range

BYD recently unveiled its Blade Battery 2.0 at its "Disruptive Technology" event on March 5. The new battery is positioned as a next-generation EV battery technology with record-breaking charging speeds and aims to address what the company calls "charging anxiety" (BYD's framing of the core barrier to EV adoption).

The new battery reportedly charges from 10 to 70 percent in just five minutes, and from 10 to 97 percent in a whopping nine minutes. In cold conditions (such as -22°F / -30°C for 24 hours), it still charges from 20 to 97 percent in 12 minutes. The company claims these charging speeds are currently 30 to 50 percent faster than most EVs under normal conditions, and notes that the 97 percent charge target is deliberate, leaving the remaining three percent reserved for regenerative braking.

BYD also claims the new battery offers over 1,000 km (621 miles) of range, albeit tested under CLTC conditions, which are known to be considerably more forgiving than standards like the EPA (used in the US) and WLTP (used in Europe). The battery pack will be paired with a high-voltage platform and upgraded thermal management, enabling what BYD calls the "impossible triangle" of performance, range, and fast charging.

BYD also says the first vehicle to be equipped with the new battery will be the Yangwang U7, a four-motor EV with a reported CLTC range of 1,006 km (625 miles). The Denza Z9 GT will also feature the new battery pack, with up to 1,036 km (644 miles) of range (still CLTC) and prices in China reportedly starting from ~$39,115. BYD also plans to install 20,000 flash-charging stations in China by the end of the year (18,000 of which will be added to existing facilities), each with a peak output of up to 1,500 kW. For comparison, Tesla's V4 Superchargers peak at 500 kW, with only around 40 installed in China so far.

BYD's new battery pack comes at a time when the world's largest EV maker is facing slowing sales growth in China, with vehicle sales dropping 35.8 percent year-over-year in early 2026 and net profit plunging 32.6 percent in the third quarter of last year. Average new-energy vehicle prices in China fell 11 percent last year amid an industry-wide price war. Still, Blade Battery 2.0 appears to be BYD's bid to reignite demand and set itself apart in an increasingly crowded domestic market.