This week, Chinese automaker BYD made waves when it announced that the new Han L sedan could add a 248-mile range in just five minutes.
Unfortunately, the company was underestimated by the details and did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for clarification. Instead, we scrutinized the web for information, filling in the gaps and determining exactly how BYD could create an EV that could be recharged as quickly as it would be needed to refill the gas car.
What we find mainly supports the claims of car manufacturers, with some warnings.
Battery pack
The center of Han L’s fast charging is its internal electrical infrastructure. According to Carnewschina, which cites regulatory documents, there is an 83.2 kWh lithium iron-phosphate (LFP) pack that runs at 945 volts. (In its marketing materials, the company appears to have been rounded up, listing it at 1,000 volts).
Battery chemistry could be central to the fast charging capacity of a car. LFP batteries have long been considered for their stability and safety. They don’t lighten as easily as other types like nickel manganese cobalt (NMC). It also allows for faster charging due to the electrochemical habits inherent in the cathode node design of LFP cells. (There is a fantastic slide deck from the National Institute of Renewable Energy, which explains in more detail why.)
In addition to that, BYD has been working with LFP for many years, and the latest battery architecture known as the Blade 2.0 will debut in a new car. That experience probably gives the company engineer a good sense of how far you can push both the battery and the electrical architecture.
Electrical System
Feeding a battery pack is a high voltage electrical system that runs at 945 volts. Automakers have pursued higher voltages because higher voltages generate less heat and provide more power safely and efficiently. Currently, Lucid runs a 900 volt architecture on the car, with several others like Hyundai Kia and Porsche running 800 volts on many of them. With Teslas it depends on the vehicle. CyberTruck uses an 800 volt architecture, with the rest operating at about 400 volts, give or take depending on the model.
Adding everything, the Han L can be charged up to 1 megawatt or 1,000 kilowatts. Currently, the fastest and widely available EV charger in the United States offers just 350 kilowatts.
However, even when running at 945 volts or 1,000 volts, the amount of heat generated on a 1 megawatt charge is important, and the cables that support them must be very thick. Even slower and faster, the charging cable, like that attached to a 350 kW charger, is wrapped in liquid cooling, which increases even more.
Perhaps to make charging cables more manageable, BYD has adopted what is called the dual gun approach. The car has two charging ports, each one that can be connected to a 500 kW charger at the same time.
Together, they offer 1 megawatt.
Range Shenanigan
According to BYD, the car can add 248 miles (400 km) in five minutes.
Unfortunately, drivers are unlikely to travel that far after such a prompt bill. This is because the CLTC, the equivalent of China’s EPA test cycle, is well known for being optimistic. According to InsideEvs, it is about 35% higher than the EPA rating, and is optimistic, itself depending on the amount of highway driving.
Realistically, the driver can expect to range from about 160 miles from a 5-minute charge and around 280 miles from a full battery. Increased apple and app comparisons can help you find out how long it takes to charge from 16% to 80% (10 minutes) or 16% to 100% (24 minutes). No matter how you slice it, it’s pretty fast.
Charging strategy
But EV charging speeds are just as good as chargers, just how widely they are available. To that end, BYD has pledged to set up more than 4,000 people across China. However, each charging station requires a major grid upgrade, as a 1 megawatt power draw is likely to put a strain on existing infrastructure.
When do you see this in the US? Even if a starting price of around $37,000 is welcomed by the market, don’t expect to be able to purchase the BYD Han L anytime soon. Currently, Chinese-made EVs are subject to 100% tariffs and are raising prices to an uncompetitive point.
But that doesn’t mean that fast charging remains out of reach for Americans. Cars for sale today can already be charged 20-80% in 18 minutes, so it’s only a matter of time before the automakers beat those times.
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