BYD will roll out ultra fast chargers in Europe delivering up to 1,500 kW. Europe gets 3,000 Flash Charging stations within the next 12 months. Denza EVs and even hybrids will both exploit very short top-up times. BYD has officially confirmed that its absurdly powerful new charging tech is headed to Europe, which means the phrase “rapid charger” may soon need a slightly more ambitious definition. Across the next 12 months, the company plans 6,000 Flash Charging stations outside China, including 3,000 across Europe. Europe already has thousands of EV fill-up stations, but these BYD Flash Charge devices don’t just edge past today’s fastest public chargers, they absolutely body-slam them. BYD says the new hardware can deliver up to 1,500 kW, making it comfortably the quickest charging setup announced for Europe so far. Better yet, this won’t be some members-only club for BYD owners. The chargers are set to use CCS2 connectors and should be open to other brands too. Dealers selling BYD’s posh Denza vehicles will get their own branded versions, while public sites elsewhere will simply wear the Flash name. BYD is also planning to work with existing charging locations rather than starting from scratch every time. The headline numbers are predictably bonkers. BYD says its newest battery tech can take compatible cars from 10 to 70 percent in five minutes, and from 10 to 97 percent in nine. That’s less charging stop, and more pause for breath. Denza Leads The Charge The first big beneficiaries in Europe will be the Denza Z9GT and the D9 DM-i. The Z9GT is the flashy one, a tri-motor, fully-electric shooting brake with a 123 kWh battery and enough shove to hit 62 mph in 2.7 seconds. The D9 DM-i minivan, meanwhile, proves plug-in hybrids can join the party too. Its 58.5 kWh battery can accept up to 559 kW, allowing the same five-minute run from 10 to 70 percent and nine minutes from 10 to 97. That’s especially handy in a giant seven-seat MPV with 130 miles (209 km) of electric range and a 590-mile (950 km) total figure when the petrol tank is full. In contrast, some PHEVs from other brands still don’t accept DC charging at all. Of course, BYD isn’t the only one throwing elbows. Earlier this week, Geely claimed its latest chargers and Golden Brick battery tech were even quicker still, because apparently the industry has decided the best way to sell EVs is through stopwatch violence. BMW Says Non To Charging War BMW, though, isn’t buying the hype. “You always have to be careful with those kinds of announcements,” the company’s battery production boss Markus Fallböhmer told Car Sales recently, suggesting battery longevity and reliability could be at stake. “It is possible to optimize one single performance indicator, but you have to make compromises on other sides. We could also increase our charging speed, but then you have to reduce other important factors of a battery.” BYD