BYD officially announced the introduction of its flash charging technology into Europe on April 8, and is set to deploy 3,000 flash charging stations locally in the next 12 months, with a total of 6,000 stations planned internationally. BMW’s head of battery production, Markus Fallböhmer, expressed concerns about the battery, noting that such fast charging speeds could damage it, as aggressive charging may compromise other areas, particularly mechanical and thermal stress.
The flash charging technology is already in use in China, with a maximum charging power of about 1,500 kW, making it the fastest public charging device for EVs worldwide. For models equipped with BYD’s second-generation blade battery, it takes only 5 minutes to charge from 10% to 70%, and only 9 minutes to go from 10% to 97%. In extreme cold weather below minus 20 degrees Celsius, the measured charge time from 20% to 97% is 12 minutes, only about 3 minutes longer than charging at normal temperatures.
In response to Fallböhmer’s concerns, official test data from BYD shows that after 500 flash charging cycles, the battery capacity retention rate remains 89%, equivalent to 300,000 km or 15 years of service life. Theoretically, the safety mechanisms BYD has put in place, with special attention to cell-to-pack (CTP) integration and their re-engineered lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology, should make this a near reality.
BYD’s blade battery LFP offers better thermal regulation, higher volumetric efficiency, and improved structural rigidity. The thermal regulation, in particular, slim battery cells that provide a large surface area for heat transfer, is crucial for mitigating the damage fast charging can cause to batteries, a traditional concern among automakers. Moreover, BYD’s adjustments to the LFP structure potentially extend its usable life, as uniform temperatures and lower internal stress translate to slower degradation and stability even under heavy loads.
Furthermore, the BYD blade battery cell has produced experimental results that support its case against BMW’s concerns. A published independent research report comparing BYD’s and Tesla’s battery cells found that BYD’s cells generated half the energy losses per unit volume under the same conditions, with less heat and better overall efficiency. Whether the battery will fulfill BYD’s claims to the letter remains unknown, but the claim has substantial scientific backing.
Editor’s Take
Given that laboratory and real-world conditions often differ due to uncontrolled variables outside the lab, the BMW executive’s concerns are quite valid. The recent fire at one of BYD’s facilities, though officially attributed to a third-party construction error, has not helped public perception. However, the theory behind BYD’s battery looks quite solid on paper. One can only wait to see how solid it proves in reality.
Sources: BYD, BMW, Autohome, Gorsch et al., Cell Reports Physical Science
Dollars loves following the latest innovations in automobile technology and sharing insights.
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