BYD is preparing to roll out ‘flash charging’ infrastructure in Europe to support the launch of its Denza Z9GT, with technology capable of adding hundreds of miles of range in minutes.
The Chinese carmaker confirmed that the Denza Z9GT will debut in Europe on April 8, introducing its new flash charging technology that can recharge a vehicle from 10% to 70% in five minutes and from 10% to 97% in nine minutes.
The technology uses BYD’s latest charging stations capable of delivering up to 1,500kW of power through a single cable, combined with the second generation of the company’s Blade battery.
BYD said the system works across a wide range of temperatures and can charge from 20% to 97% in around 12 minutes even in conditions as cold as minus 30 degrees celsius.
The company has branded the technology under the principle “Ready in 5, Full in 9, Cold Add 3”, referring to its headline charging times.
The system has already been deployed in China, where thousands of flash charging stations are installed.
BYD confirmed that a global rollout is planned, with Europe set to receive an initial wave of chargers to support the launch of Denza models.
The move could strengthen BYD’s position in Europe by pairing its vehicles with a dedicated charging network, similar to the role Tesla’s Supercharger infrastructure has played in supporting adoption of its EVs.
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Denza Z9GT will showcase flash charging tech
The Denza Z9GT will act as the European showcase for the technology and there will be a dedicated UK network for the BYD premium brand when sales launch this year.
The shooting brake grand tourer uses Denza’s e3 platform and is powered by a 122kWh Blade Battery capable of delivering up to 800km (547 miles) of range in rear wheel drive form.
A triple motor version of the Z9GT will offer more than 960PS and accelerate from 0-62mph in under three seconds.
Stella Li, BYD executive vice president, said: “The introduction of the DENZA Z9GT in Europe marks a very important milestone for our brand.
“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.”
BYD said further details on its European flash charging rollout and how the infrastructure will support Denza vehicles will be announced in due course.