If you told an EV owner five years ago that a mainstream automaker might be testing 2,100 kW charging, they probably would have laughed at you. However, that is exactly what leaked documents tied to BYD appear to suggest.
A new report from Car News China, citing social media posts and screenshots of regulatory filings circulating on Chinese social media platforms, suggests that BYD is experimenting with super-fast charging technology capable of reaching a maximum input power of up to 2,100 kW (2.1 MW).
What 2.1 megawatts could really deliver
Even though the system might not deliver a direct 2,100 kW, it could still provide a major upgrade over BYD’s Flash Charge network, which delivers 1,000 kW of peak charging power, enough to provide 400 kilometers of cruising range in around 300 seconds, or 5 minutes.
If the leaked figure is even close to reality, a charger with 2,100 kW input could theoretically output between 1,800 kW and 2,000 kW (I’ve accounted for conversion losses and auxiliary systems).
However, leaks from the previous week suggest reference individual output channels between 1,200 kW and 1,500 kW.
Compatible EV owners should be able to get 400 kilometers of range in about 200 to 250 seconds, or around three to four minutes. Although I’ve oversimplified the numbers for your understanding, a 2,100 kW charging input could, in a very real way, bring a charging station break feel like a gas stop.
Much faster than Tesla’s quickest public charging
It’s worth mentioning that BYD’s 1,000 kW charging (though not as widely available) is about twice as fast as Tesla’s 500 kW charging available for the Cybertruck via V4 Superchargers.
A multi-megawatt passenger-car charging system could certainly shift how automakers and EV owners think about charging and plan their infrastructure or road trips.
However, it also raises concerns about grid capacity, on-site energy storage, and the electrical architecture that BYD’s EVs would need to support charging speed. Also, remember that the Chinese automaker is yet to announce the charging standard or confirm the specifications, so take them with a pinch of salt.