BYD expands ultra‑fast 5‑minute EV charging network in Europe and eyes Canada

Chinese automaker BYD has launched its Flash Charging network across Europe, offering ultra‑fast 1,500 kW chargers at a record price of about €0.58 per kilowatt‑hour. The company plans to install 3,000 stations by the end of 2026, allowing a 60 % battery recharge in roughly five minutes – a rate far above competitors such as Tesla and Ionity. BYD attributes the low cost to battery‑storage systems that draw cheap night‑time electricity and then dispense it rapidly to vehicles.

The firm is also preparing a similar rollout in Canada. A LinkedIn posting for a Flash Charging Business Development Manager in Toronto signals a build‑out as Canada lowers tariffs, permitting up to 49,000 Chinese EVs annually. BYD’s 1,500 kW chargers could add about 250 miles of range in five minutes, and the company cites successful cold‑weather tests where a Denza Z9 GT reached 97 % charge in 12 minutes at –22 °F. The expansion aims to make public EV charging comparable to a quick fuel stop and to ease grid pressures through its battery‑buffer approach.