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BYD keeps raising the bar for EV tech, and that’s bad news for U.S. automakers who are struggling to keep up.
BYD announced it is upgrading several of its best-selling models with its new ultra-fast battery charging system, Electrek reported.
The Chinese EV giant first introduced the new tech, dubbed the Blade Battery 2.0 Flash Charging system, last month. The system can reportedly charge EVs equipped with the new tech from 10% to 70% in just five minutes. Meanwhile, a near full recharge, from 10% to 97%, takes about nine minutes. The system is also designed to work in extreme cold, with charging times of around 12 minutes in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius (-22°F).
Electrek reports the technology was first confirmed for BYD’s ultra-luxury electric sedan, the Yangwang U7. In a March press release, BYD also announced that the Denza Z9 GT would be the first model overseas to feature the system.
That vehicle has already made headlines of its own. BYD said the Z9GT can travel up to 1,036 km (644 miles) on a single charge under China’s CLTC testing standard, making it what the company calls “the world’s longest pure electric driving range vehicle.”
Orders for the car in Europe opened this month, with BYD positioning it as the ideal car for introducing its fast-charging tech to the world.
“It’s the perfect choice to introduce the principle of ‘Ready in 5, Full in 9, Cold Add 3’ to the world, as we start our global rollout of FLASH Charging in Europe,” said BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li in the press release.
Electrek also reports the charging technology is coming to another one of BYD’s top sellers, the Yuan Plus, which is sold as the Atto 3 outside of China. Citing CleanTechnica, Electrek notes the model was the 13th best-selling EV globally in 2025.
The rollout is the latest example of how quickly Chinese automakers are advancing EV technology and how much pressure that’s putting on U.S. carmakers. That tension has only grown after President Donald Trump canceled federal EV subsidies, prompting several car makers to rethink their EV strategies in the country.
Still, Ford CEO Jim Farley warned this week that allowing Chinese automakers to sell their vehicles in the U.S. could have serious consequences for the nation’s manufacturing sector.
“We should not let them into our country,” Farley said during an appearnce on Fox & Friends, according to Bloomberg. “Manufacturing is the heart and soul of our country and for us to lose that to those exports would be devastating to our country.”
While the U.S. has largely kept Chinese EVs out of its market through steep tariffs, currently at 100%, they are set to start making their way into North America soon. Canada recently announced a new strategic partnership with China that could allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs into the Canadian market.
Farley said preventing those vehicles from entering the U.S. through Canada should be a key issue in upcoming trade negotiations between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
“I sure hope we don’t allow them to come across the border,” Farley said.
Ford did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo.
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Source: Gizmodo