Chinese automaker BYD’s new-generation fast chargers to hit Israel later this year
With other Chinese car manufacturers in hot pursuit, BYD’s new batteries and stations promise to charge electric vehicles from 10% to 97% in less than 10 minutes
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
Israel will be included later this year in the first European rollouts of Chinese car manufacturer BYD’s ultra-fast charging technology.
BYD’s Flash technology promises to recharge its new line of vehicle batteries from 10 percent to 97% in less than ten minutes at dedicated charging stations.
The Globes business daily cited Chinese sources saying Israel would be included in the first European rollout during the final quarter of this year.
Other Chinese car manufacturers exporting to Israel, such as Geely, are reportedly following BYD’s supercharger lead.
BYD’s first step will be to build charging stations capable of working three times faster than Tesla’s new fast chargers in Israel, and nearly 10 times the average rate of other fast-charging stations currently available.
The new BYD chargers will work with a new line of batteries installed in new and revised BYD electric and hybrid car models.
Recharging a car to add hundreds of kilometers of driving distance will take no longer than filling it up with gasoline.
Reuters reported on Friday that BYD’s domestic sales have been falling for months amid competition from local rivals.
The rollout of more models equipped with “flash” charging is aimed at winning over drivers who are reluctant to buy an EV out of fear about their limited kilometrage and long charging times, executive vice president Stella Li told Reuters on the sidelines of the Beijing Auto Show.
“Flash charging is so important for BYD because this solves the last barrier for EV adoption,” Li said. “This means we can now compete with the gas market.”
Last year, BYD overtook Tesla to become the world’s top EV manufacturer.
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