Geely Unveils Sub-5-Minute EV Charging in Technology Race with BYD

Chinese automaker Geely on Wednesday unveiled an ultra-fast charging system for electric vehicles, aiming to gain a technological edge over rival BYD in the highly competitive domestic market. The company also introduced a next-generation EV battery and an upgraded Galaxy E5 pure-electric SUV, according to a Reuters report from Ningbo, China.

Technology and Performance

Geely stated that its new system can charge an EV battery from 10% to 70% in just 4.5 minutes and from 10% to 97% in 8 minutes and 40 seconds under normal temperatures. This performance relies on a high-rate battery capacity and a powerful 2.2-megawatt charging infrastructure.

To manage the immense power and ensure safety, Geely is deploying artificial intelligence across its platform. The system uses cloud-based digital twin simulations combined with on-vehicle deep-learning models to monitor battery health, manage thermal control, and predict potential hazards.

Competitive Landscape

The announcement is a direct response to aggressive advancements by competitors, particularly BYD, which have invested heavily in flash-charging networks to alleviate consumer range anxiety. Earlier this year, BYD revealed a system capable of charging a battery from 10% to 97% in nine minutes.

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BYD's infrastructure ambitions are significant, with plans to build 90,000 charging stations by 2028, according to a Deutsche Bank report citing a meeting with the company's management. This underscores a broader market shift where automakers are competing on technological features like intelligent driving, range, and charging speed to attract buyers.

Market Context

Geely's push comes as China's EV market faces headwinds, with sales declining for 11 consecutive months through August, as reported by Reuters. At the launch event, Geely executive Zhang Dewang noted that charging technology is nearing its physical limits.

"Current charging speeds are already approaching the physical limit, and the marginal gains from pursuing even faster speeds in the future will become increasingly small," Zhang told Reuters. He added that the future charging ecosystem will likely resemble the traditional gasoline station model, with diverse brands and multi-party infrastructure development accelerating the global rollout of fast-charging networks.