Key Takeaways
China’s Geely Automobile is unveiling a new charging technology that draws 2.25 megawatts of power and could charge a vehicle in under five minutes, putting it in competition with BYD’s Flash chargers.
Fast charging is essential to making electric vehicles attractive to buyers who don’t want to wait long to recharge.
China’s domestic EV sales fell 13% through September this year compared to 2025, and automakers are working to cut charging times to attract drivers.
Geely plans to expand its charging network to more than 22,000 stations and 100,000 charging guns by the end of 2027 to aid charging infrastructure.
The EV market in China has become a technology battleground, with automakers competing on intelligent driving systems, range, and ultra-fast charging to attract buyers.
China expects to have 110 million electric vehicles on its roads by 2030, requiring more than 40 million charging points and about 300,000 high-power charging facilities to meet demand.
China’s Geely Automobile has developed a new EV charging technology that can recharge a battery from low to nearly full in under five minutes, competing with BYD’s charging technology. Geely used artificial intelligence to deliver faster charging while reducing heat and improving battery life. In real-world tests, Geely found that the batteries in the Lynk & Co 10 and Zeekr 001 charged from 10% to 70% in four minutes and 30 seconds and from 10% to 97% in eight minutes and 40 seconds at normal ambient temperatures. This year, Geely will launch its Galaxy E5, an all-electric premium SUV, the first model to offer the new ultra-fast charging technology. Geely’s batteries offer ranges of about 341 miles and 395 miles. According to Geely, its packs can last 3,500 charge-discharge cycles “with limited degradation.”
Geely’s charging times compare to BYD’s second-generation blade battery and flash-charging technology, which BYD announced in March, at five and nine minutes, respectively. BYD plans to build 90,000 stations by 2028, according to Deutsche Bank. The auto company has demonstrated its 1.5-megawatt Flash chargers in China and Europe, where they can charge batteries in under 10 minutes. BYD plans to spend nearly €2bn ($2.28 billion) in Europe to bring its five-minute flash-charging technology to all mainstream models in the coming years. However, only some of BYD’s most expensive models are compatible with the technology in Europe. China’s EV market has become a technology battleground, with automakers competing on intelligent driving systems, range, and ultra-fast charging to attract buyers.
Geely also released its latest smart charging station, which can deliver up to 2,250 kilowatts per charging gun, as the Chinese auto market seeks faster charging times than gas and diesel refueling. Despite Chinese EV sales at 62% in August, overall car sales slowed, with retail passenger car sales down 23.6% from a year earlier to 1.54 million units. Geely also plans to expand the charging network to more than 22,000 stations and 100,000 charging guns by the end of 2027. The company said that its latest charging technology is focused on the Chinese domestic market and did not indicate whether it would be deployed overseas. Geely has been making inroads in the European market, recently announcing a joint venture with Ford Motor to produce and co-develop electric vehicles at Ford’s plant in Spain. It has also been expanding sales of its Zeekr and Lynk & Co brands in Europe.
China’s EV Expectations
China expects to have 110 million electric vehicles on its roads by 2030, and the charging infrastructure must be in place to support them. That means installing more than 40 million charging points and about 300,000 high-power charging facilities to meet demand. EV drivers will need a mix of high- and lower-powered charging: high-power, fast charging is needed at motorway service stations along busy travel corridors, while cheaper, lower-powered options would benefit those charging curbside overnight. Charging rates demanding 1.5 to 2.25 megawatts per charging vehicle will likely require significant grid upgrades.
China has also invested in battery swapping. Chinese manufacturer Nio has performed more than 100 million battery swaps since 2018. During China’s recent May Day travel rush, its Power Swap business completed over 1 million battery swaps in a single week, as many drivers prefer it for its ease and speed; swapping a battery pack takes around three minutes. On its busiest day, May 1, the company swapped out 170,585 batteries across its entire network. On average, each site swaps about 40 batteries a day, slowly recharging spent cells and replacing them in a different vehicle once they’re fully charged. Nio’s all-electric sub-brand Onvo currently operates 2,491 stations across China but is targeting more than 3,300 by year-end, in addition to Nio’s 3,843 Power Swap stations.
Conclusion
Geely is unveiling a new charging technology that draws 2.25 megawatts of power during use and could charge a car in under five minutes, competing with BYD’s Flash chargers. China’s EV sales fell over 10% in the first eight months of this year, and automakers are working to cut charging times to attract drivers. Geely plans to expand its charging network to more than 22,000 stations and 100,000 charging guns by the end of 2027. The EV market in China has become a technology battle, with automakers competing on intelligent driving systems, range, and ultra-fast charging to attract buyers. China expects to have 110 million electric vehicles on its roads by 2030, which means installing more than 40 million charging points and approximately 300,000 high-power charging facilities to meet the demand.
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