BYDs

When less than a year ago we tried the BYD 1MW charger designed for heavy vehicles and capable of providing energy to travel 400 kilometers in five minutes (although with small print), we remember from the words of Stella Li: equals “the experience of filling a tank of gasoline.” But BYD has upped his bet with the second generation of its Blade battery, which brings two notable advances under its belt: greater energy density and an unprecedented charging speed. The goal of Build Your Dreams is for you to be able to charge an electric car while you have a quick coffee. Context. BYD is the firm that in 2025 ousted Tesla as the brand that sells the most pure electric cars. Their arguments are incontestable: the most competitive prices and control of their entire manufacturing chain. Because Build Your Dreams manufactures its batteries, semiconductors and motors, which makes it the Apple of the automotive industry, an advantage in cost, expertise and customization that no Western rival can match today. The key piece of that domain is its Blade batteries. Unlike conventional Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt batteries, it uses Lithium-iron-phosphate: less energy dense but safer. And it eliminates intermediate modules, inserting the cells directly into the pack, which reduces components and makes better use of space. In short: cheaper, safer and more compact. The first generation supported fast charging from 30% to 80% in 25 minutes at 120 kW DC. The middle generation with Super e-Platform reached 1,000 kW. The new technology. What BYD has announced are two systems developed in parallel and better understood together: the battery and the infrastructure. Blade 2.0 maintains its LFP chemistry but arrives with a redesigned cell architecture to gain 5% more energy density. The real leap is thermal management: it has solved fast charging in cold climates, so that it is capable of managing its very fast charging even at temperatures of -30 °C. The flash stations. They operate at 1000 volts, setting a new threshold for ultra-fast charging in the industry, and reach up to 1,500 kW per gun. To get an idea, right now in Europe the top chargers charge at 400-500 kW and are a rarity for poles and cars. These stations bring a new T-shaped design and a comfortable layout for larger fleets. They have announced 20,000 points of this type in 2026, most integrated within existing charging networks. Why is it important. Because if there are two arguments against the electric car, they are a lower range than its combustion counterpart and charging time. Anything longer than filling the tank is seen as a stone in the shoe. BYD’s figures compete with refueling, although logically they depend on whether we are using a compatible charger and car. And within the particularity of electric car charging, the cold is the staunch enemy of fast charging, a problem to take into account and which is not at all trivial in markets such as northern Europe or Canada. If the figures are confirmed in real conditions, it is a turning point. Video of BYD charging at –30 °C. Via: Twitter In figures. The improvements of Blade 2.0 and its Flash stations: Charge from 10% to 70% in just 5 minutes. Charge from 10% to 97% in 9 minutes. Charge from 20% to 97% in 12 minutes at -30°C. Maximum power per gun: 1,500 kW at 1000 V. 20,000 charging points in 2026 (China). Extra bonus: launch of the EV with more autonomy, the Denza Z9 GT (2026): 1,036 km under the CLTC cycle. How have they done it. As explained Wang ChuanfuCEO of BYD, these high charging speeds would inevitably overload the electrical grid, so their solution involves energy storage batteries. The company plans to partner with existing charging networks under a “station within a station” model. The flash stations do not connect directly to the high-voltage electrical grid, but charge themselves using existing conventional fast charging networks (120 kW) so that the batteries act as a buffer, which speeds up deployment and reduces the cost of a new electrical installation. Regarding the improvement of battery performance, improvements in cells with greater energy density and advanced thermal management enable ultra-fast charging even when cold, minimizing battery degradation. Yes, but. Although the figures offered by BYD are impressive, especially in cold climates, we are waiting to confirm them in live tests in real environments. In addition, you must also read the fine print: BYD measures from 10% to 97%, not from 0% to 100%, it eats up part of that slow start at the bottom and reaches almost to the end, where it falls again. On the other hand, Flash stations and cars point to a closed ecosystem (at least initially), we will have to see how the scalability of the system is and if they reach Western markets. Finally, charging 1,500 kW sounds like bells for the impatient, but doing it regularly means subjecting the cells to significant thermal and electrochemical stress. In Xataka | The BYD Atto 3 EVO is confirmation that China works at a different pace: more battery and the same price correcting its big problem In Xataka | If we ask the CEO of BYD why BYD is losing steam abroad, his answer will be extremely simple. Cover | Xataka