BYD Says It Can Now Charge An Electric Car In 5 Minutes

Chinese automaker BYD continues to leave Tesla in the dust. The company introduced a new battery system on Monday that it claims can charge an electric vehicle in just five minutes, about the same time it takes to refuel a traditional car. The feat has long been a goal of the industry, which is still trying to overcome thorny hurdles around charging that have held potential buyers back. The company specifically claims it can provide 249 miles of range in 5 minutes in its new Han L sedan. That compares to Tesla’s best charging rate, which can add 170 miles of range in 15 minutes at one of its high-voltage Superchargers. Elon Musk years ago bet big on an in-house made battery to provide extended range and improved range to his company’s vehicles, but seemingly found battery development is harder than expected, as the 4860 battery has not lived up to expectations. There has been some concern raised that fast charging such as that from BYD could shorten the overall lifespan of an EV batt ... Read full article.