Latest news with #chargingtechnology
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
BYD's 5-minute EV flash chargers coming to Europe
BYD will bring its ultra-rapid electric car chargers to Europe, it has confirmed, meaning EV owners will be able to recharge as fast as filling up with petrol. The Chinese EV giant, which recently dethroned Tesla as the biggest electric car maker in the world, has confirmed it will install a network of 'flash chargers' in Europe within the next 12 months. BYD's (which stands for Build Your Dreams) executive vice president Stella Li announced the news to journalists in Brussels last week. The ultra-rapid chargers use a 1,000kW architecture, making them much more powerful than its US rival's Superchargers, which only charge up to 250kW and deliver 172 miles in 15 minutes. Li claims the flash chargers will allow EV drivers to replenish their batteries in just five minutes with the technology described as a 'game changer' that will boost EV confidence and remove range and charge anxiety. Initially, the devices will be installed at BYD dealerships, though other partnerships and locations are currently under consideration. Part of the brand's Super e-Platform – which includes an overhauled powertrain, an upgraded motor and battery - the 'flash chargers' add 1.2 miles of range per second, which gives the five-minute industry-first figure. The chargers also let cars with older batteries top up 20 to 30 percent faster than normal. BYD already sells EVs equipped with batteries that can recharge up to 250 miles (400km) in five minutes. While the confirmation from Stella Li is good news for European BYD drivers, no extra details have been given as to how the chargers will cater for European EV technology. There are currently limitations on Europe's CCS (Combined Charging System) rapid chargers which cap power at 500kW, with many manufacturers limiting EVs to lower charging figures to help long term battery health. Most European EVs can handle up to 200kW on a 500A charger, with only a few able to handle up to 350kW. BYD's 1,000kW chargers massively overshoot this. The expansion of BYD's charging network into Europe is the latest part of the Shenzhen-based company's goal to dominate the EV and plug-in hybrid market in Europe. Li explained that by 2030 BYD wants to be a major player in the European automotive market, with plans to open a production site in Hungary this year, along with a R&D center and a European headquarters in Budapest. BYD's European sales have seen steady monthly growth of 10 percent, Li says, with the carmaker aiming to build more production sites on the continent in the future if sales continue to go well. Li commented: 'We are going to build in Europe to sell in Europe. We are looking at the long-term. We are here to stay.' Which BYD cars can you buy in the UK? BYD arrived in 2023 and brought with it three models that undercut European brands by offering high levels of quality, tech, and battery advancements for a more affordable price: the Atto 3, the Dolphin and the Seal which cost £37,705, £26,205 and £45,705 respectively. The forthcoming Atto 2 compact SUV will arrive later this year and is set to start at £30,000.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
BYD's 'game changing' five-minute EV flash chargers are coming to Europe within 12 months
BYD will bring its ultra-rapid electric car chargers to Europe, it has confirmed, meaning EV owners will be able to recharge as fast as filling up with petrol. The Chinese EV giant, which recently dethroned Tesla as the biggest electric car maker in the world, has confirmed it will install a network of 'flash chargers' in Europe within the next 12 months. BYD's (which stands for Build Your Dreams) executive vice president Stella Li announced the news to journalists in Brussels last week. The ultra-rapid chargers use a 1,000kW architecture, making them much more powerful than its US rival's Superchargers, which only charge up to 250kW and deliver 172 miles in 15 minutes. Li claims the flash chargers will allow EV drivers to replenish their batteries in just five minutes with the technology described as a 'game changer' that will boost EV confidence and remove range and charge anxiety. Initially, the devices will be installed at BYD dealerships, though other partnerships and locations are currently under consideration. Part of the brand's Super e-Platform – which includes an overhauled powertrain, an upgraded motor and battery - the 'flash chargers' add 1.2 miles of range per second, which gives the five-minute industry-first figure. The chargers also let cars with older batteries top up 20 to 30 per cent faster than normal. BYD already sells EVs equipped with batteries that can recharge up to 250 miles (400km) in five minutes. While the confirmation from Stella Li is good news for European BYD drivers, no extra details have been given as to how the chargers will cater for European EV technology. There are currently limitations on Europe's CCS (Combined Charging System) rapid chargers which cap power at 500kW, with many manufacturers limiting EVs to lower charging figures to help long term battery health. Most European EVs can handle up to 200kW on a 500A charger, with only a few able to handle up to 350kW. BYD's 1,000kW chargers massively overshoot this. The expansion of BYD's charging network into Europe is the latest part of the Shenzhen-based company's goal to dominate the EV and plug-in hybrid market in Europe. Li explained that by 2030 BYD wants to be a major player in the European automotive market, with plans to open a production site in Hungary this year, along with a R&D centre and a European headquarters in Budapest. BYD's European sales have seen steadily monthly growth of 10 per cent, Li says, with the carmaker aiming to build more production sites on the continent in the future if sales continue to go well. Li commented: 'We are going to build in Europe to sell in Europe. We are looking at the long term. We are here to stay.' Which BYD cars can you buy in the UK? BYD arrived in 2023 and brought with it three models which undercut European brands by offering high levels of quality, tech, and battery advancements for a more affordable price: the Atto 3, the Dolphin and the Seal which cost £37,705, £26,205 and £45,705 respectively. The forthcoming Atto 2 compact SUV will arrive later this year and is set to start at £30,000. BYD has announced its Dolphin Surf city EV will go on sale later this year and offer 'the best value' in its class while costing less than £20,000. This will shake up the cheap EV market. As of March, there are 60 BYD dealer locations and counting.
ABC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Sicona's fast-charging battery tech to be developed by Himadri in India
A breakthrough Australian technology that promises 40 per cent faster charging times for lithium batteries has attracted interest from overseas. Wollongong startup Sicona has licensed the rights to its technology, SiCx, to Indian chemicals company Himadri. The product is a silicon carbon anode that is added to lithium-ion batteries to improve efficiency. As part of the deal, Himadri will make a $15 million investment in the Wollongong business and will have the right to create its own facility producing the product in India. "The revenue that it will generate for us in terms of royalties is in the tens of millions of dollars that will flow over quite a long period." In the initial stages, Himadri's investment will allow the Wollongong company to expand its laboratory operations in the Illawarra and employ more staff. In the long term, Himadri's plan to build its own manufacturing facility producing Sicona's product will form the blueprint for the Australian company establishing its own facility elsewhere, most likely in the US. Previously, Mr Jordaan has spoken out about the difficulty in setting up manufacturing facilities in Australia, forcing home-grown ideas into development overseas. "The Australian government needs to incentivise local manufacturing, as other governments like the US [have] ... there is a lot of protectionist trade policy being implemented." Mr Jordaan said not having to build a large, first-of-its-kind manufacturing facility would allow Sicona to learn from Himadri's experience. "This is a very neat way to overcome that challenge for us to get our first commercial-scale operation … our vision is to become the largest producer of these materials globally. "Over time, that means we want to build and operate ourselves and while we have that intention in the US already, we're looking at other opportunities … to build globally." Sicona previously proposed a commercial-scale lithium-ion battery factory in the Illawarra suburb of Shellharbour. Lithium-ion batteries have many uses, but they all have a cathode positive side and an anode negative side. The cathode side has materials like nickel, cobalt and manganese, while the anode is predominantly graphite. When Sicona's product was mixed in with an anode's graphite, Mr Jordaan said the impact was significant. "It boosts the storage capacity of the battery overall," he said. There are a number of sectors driving the need for better-quality lithium-ion batteries. Examples include artificial intelligence in personal devices that use batteries, militaries using autonomous drones, the development of humanoid robots and electric vehicles. "What I've observed in China most recently is almost every new vehicle that you find on the road is electric," Mr Jordaan said. "Artificial intelligence is driving higher power requirements for other devices, including mobile phones, laptops and robots. "All of that requires denser and better batteries … and is driving huge demand for our product and our technology."
