XPeng set to reveal a 'disruptive' 480kW EV charging network whose mass-produced stations add 125 miles of range in 5 minutes

The long-awaited announcement of China's first 800V fast EV charging platform that is scheduled for mass production will be happening on August 15, teased XPeng. The next, 480kW generation of its X-Power charging station, dubbed the S4, will sport up to 600A peak output and can top up an electric car for another 200km (124 miles) of driving in just 5 minutes. Tesla's Superchargers, for instance, currently max out at 240kW.

"In how many minutes is a full charge considered a new era of replenishment energy speed? How many charging stations does it take to be free of mileage anxiety? Can the time it takes to listen to a song really make the range worry-free?," asks XPeng's event teaser.

The electric carmaker's CEO is on record saying that its new fast charging system will be disruptive in the sense that it will drastically reduce range anxiety and eliminate the need for maintaining two cars - one EV for urban driving and a gas vehicle for longer trips - that many families are forced to resort to now. "We will complete the layout of the new supercharging stations in the country's major highways and along their routes as soon as possible," he added at the time, though XPeng's new S4 stations won't be the only fast EV charging game in town there.

NIO, for example, recently held its Power Day and announced the buildout of a 500kW ultrafast charging network of its own that can max out at 650A of output, while GAC, whose Aion SUV supports the 800V system, is also lining up 480kW stations. We'll see what exactly would XPeng announce on August 15, but by all counts China will soon have its highways and major cities peppered with charging stations whose time-on-stall specs will be significantly improved and thus spearhead the mass adoption of electric cars there.

There is a major government push to build a nationwide fast charging network here in the US as well, with Tesla and others lining up for the charging station subsidies that it will involve.

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