BYD new 1,000V ‘Super E-Platform’ capable of fast charging 400km in 5 minutes

[DuoRivians]

BYD confirms new 1,000V ‘Super E-Platform’ capable of fast charging 400km in 5 minutes

Charge rates up to 1,000 kW (3x most 800v systems at 350kw max). BYD also launched new car models based on this fast charging platform.

Overall, this seems like a meaningful breakthrough for the EV industry. I wonder if Rivian is taking note and considering options.

https://electrek.co/2025/03/17/byd-confirms-1000v-super-e-platform-fast-charging-400km-5-minutes/

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[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Chinese car companies bought and reverse engineered western cars for years, including Teslas. It’s one of the ways they bridged the knowledge gap. Don’t see why American companies couldn’t do the same.

 

[Jonger1150]

Chinese car companies bought and reverse engineered western cars for years, including Teslas. It’s one of the ways they bridged the knowledge gap. Don’t see why American companies couldn’t do the same.

Should load a few dozen onto a container ship and float on em over here. Will they have the audacity to actually say anything?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Most of them acquired complete cars or salvaged parts not through direct purchases, but through intermediaries with no overt ties. Same could be done in reverse. And Ford’s Farley slipped not long ago (got in trouble with the board for it) that he’d been driving a Xiaomi SU7 around Detroit.

 

[iansriv]

Got to hand it to BYD to bring this to market. I'm jealous for the US makers. I hope we can see EV recharge times like ICE. Thoughts?

BYD

 

[CosmicRivian]

You are right, enviable technological advancements for sure, but from what I have read on this forum already, and elsewhere, the technology is a lot further away than it seems on first blush. I strongly suspect there are US companies advancing similar initiatives that we just aren't hearing about like in this BYD case.

For widespread EV adoption in the US there needs to be four primary challenges addressed:

1. EV MSRPs that are competitive with existing ICE vehicles
2. Faster charging when charging away from home (250 mi in 5 mins would do it!)
3. Far more charging options across the country; no more perceived or real charging deserts in places where EVs could be popular, but charging is challenging (I'm looking at you rural Mountain West and Midwest states)
4. Energy prices that are lower than gasoline (or no higher than gasoline when charing on the road)

The value proposition is there for any one of the four above, but not all four at the same time. It comes down to what people are willing to live with vs. real and perceived challenges to going electric.

Despite the challenges, I remain optimistic the conversion will occur, I just think it could be a lot slower than people (me included) would like. That includes the BYD rollout of 250 miles in 5 minutes.

 

[mudito]

Chinese car companies bought and reverse engineered western cars for years, including Teslas. It’s one of the ways they bridged the knowledge gap. Don’t see why American companies couldn’t do the same.

Yeah but Chinese companies don't have the red-tape American companies do in order to put such systems in service.

Here you would have to undergo thousands of testing, validation, and certification hours and do a lot of legal crap while being very risk-averse to avoid lawsuits and such.

That makes progress reeeeallly slow. Regulations need to be cut (or optimized at least) and liability for certain issues being lifted or limited to companies in order to speed up the process. Imagine the headlines the first day that a Tesla or a Rivian battery catches fire on it's first 1000V architecture car...

 

[Doc]

That charging speed makes good headlines. However, if you're like me, it probably doesn't mean very much UNLESS I'm on a long road trip. 99% of the time the charger I've got in my garage gives me more range than I need on a daily basis at a much cheaper cost. In fact, I could have gotten away with a proper setup on a 240v outlet if I had wanted. Now, if we're talking about a long trip, that charging speed is really nice!!!

 

[mudito]

That charging speed makes good headlines. However, if you're like me, it probably doesn't mean very much UNLESS I'm on a long road trip. 90% of the time the charger I've got in my garage gives me more range than I need on a daily basis at a much cheaper cost. In fact, I could have gotten away with a proper setup on a 240v outlet if I had wanted. Now, if we're taking a long trip, that charging speed is really nice!!!

While that's probably the case for most of EV users, if you want mass adoption you need to remove as many blockers as possible.

Many people live in apartments with limited or no EV charging, and fast charging is the only option for them.

Road-tripping is a smaller percentage but still is measurable, but if charging means just 5-6 minutes, then you can HEAVILY reduce the waiting times in DCFC locations and serve a magnitude of drivers in the same time span than you would keep the charging stalls constant.

DCFC needs to be improved, that's the hard truth... I wish Rivian uses 800V with a sustanined 350kw charging until 60-70% (think Porsche Taycan). That would be amazing. Still I charge 99% at home and have no issues with it.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Yeah but Chinese companies don't have the red-tape American companies do in order to put such systems in service.

Here you would have to undergo thousands of testing, validation, and certification hours and do a lot of legal crap while being very risk-averse to avoid lawsuits and such.

That makes progress reeeeallly slow. Regulations need to be cut (or optimized at least) and liability for certain issues being lifted or limited to companies in order to speed up the process. Imagine the headlines the first day that a Tesla or a Rivian battery catches fire on it's first 1000V architecture car...

What red tape. There are no laws barring US automakers from acquiring, dissecting foreign cars or running them on US roads. Just a few years ago I saw a bunch of Peugeot CUVs with manufacturer plates.

 

[mudito]

What red tape. There are no laws barring US automakers from acquiring and dissecting Chinese cars.

I'm talking about certification and validation for charging sites, such as certifying the safety of cables and cooling systems.

Not talking about reverse-engineering...

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I'm talking about certification and validation for charging sites, such as certifying the safety of cables and cooling systems.

Not talking about reverse-engineering...

Oh ok. I think this mostly nothingburger news regarding BYD isn't just the tech that is on the cars but also the charging equipment? In that case it would require vast infrastructure investment AND govt. involvement. [insert laughter] We know that ain't happening in the US this year or the next three. Hence, mostly nothingburger.

 

[mudito]

Oh ok. I think this mostly nothingburger news regarding BYD isn't just the tech that is on the cars but also the charging equipment? In that case it would require vast infrastructure investment AND govt. involvement. [insert laughter] We know that ain't happening in the US this year or the next three. Hence, mostly nothingburger.

Correct.

But... 800V is here already, the move from 400V should be faster by automakers and they're still crawling through it. I'm hoping to see more and more 800V cars/chargers and then it'll be easy to reach ~500kw charging speeds in the next years.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Correct.

But... 800V is here already, the move from 400V should be faster by automakers and they're still crawling through it. I'm hoping to see more and more 800V cars/chargers and then it'll be easy to reach ~500kw charging speeds in the next years.

Yes, but between 800 and 400V, the charging times aren't really that much better. I think battery chemistry is what it will take to provide that next meaningful leap. And on that front, the Chinese are putting new chemistry into practice while everyone else is still just talking about it (*cough Toyota).

 

[mudito]

Yes, but between 800 and 400V, the charging times aren't really that much better. I think battery chemistry is what it will take to provide that next meaningful leap. And on that front, the Chinese are putting new chemistry into practice while everyone else is still just talking about it (*cough Toyota).

Indeed, but 800V architecture normally can keep north of 200kw charging speeds at 50/60% battery SoC, and in our battery size it'll make quite a big difference for road-tripping. If tweaked correctly with the right thermal management, we could see 10-80% charge times easily cut in half.

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