Chinese automaker BYD unveiled a new battery pack Thursday that the company says is capable of charging from 10% to 70% in five minutes. Taking it to almost 100% takes about four minutes more.
Recharge times like those would nullify concerns about electric vehicles’ charging times — one of the few places where internal combustion engines retain an advantage. Even in bitter cold weather (–4˚ F or –20˚ C), the pack can charge from 20% to 97% in under 12 minutes, according to BYD. The battery pack, known as the Blade Battery 2.0 system, is slated to debut in the Yangwang U7, a full-size luxury sedan.
There is a critical caveat to this eye-popping figure. The Yangwang U7 sedan, or any other future BYD vehicle equipped with this next-generation battery pack, can only reach this ultra-fast charging time when paired with one of the company’s new Flash Charging EV chargers.
Still, BYD is likely counting on this flashy charging tech to boost sales and give it an edge in a price war with other Chinese automakers that are rolling out new and improved EVs at a rapid clip.
The Shenzhen-based company was a darling of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway holdings for years. The investor bought a 10% stake in the automaker in 2008 for $230 million — long before it became a Tesla rival and household name. Berkshire sold its last shares in 2025, returning more than 20x the original investment.
Today, BYD is the world’s largest manufacturer of EVs — a status that other Chinese automakers and Tesla are keen to change. While BYD still outpaces competitors like LiAuto, Xpeng, Xiaomi, and Zeekr, there has been a recent dip in sales. The company reported that its combined January and February sales volume in 2026 dipped by roughly 36% compared to the year before.
Its next-generation battery system could help it attract new customers and retain existing ones.
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