BYD have stated “Oil and electricity at the same speed”, by this I read: Charging at the Speed of a Petrol Pump. What does that mean in terms of power?
A petrol pump delivers 30 to 40 litres/minute
energy content of petrol = 9700 Wh/litre
9700 x 40 = 388,000 Wh/minute = 23.28 MWh/hour = 23.28 MW
That is 23x greater power than the 1 MW BYD charger, hardly “Oil and electricity at the same speed”.
Let us look at this based on the 249 miles added in 5 minutes claim from BYD for their latest electric vehicle and charging system. Now compare this to an efficient petrol car such as a Toyota Prius that requires 4.8 litres/100km.
249 miles ~ 400km
4.8 litres/100km x 400km = 19.2 litres
Pumping at 40 litres/minute means a 400km refill takes 19.2 litres / 40 litres/minute ~ 29 seconds
29 seconds for petrol to refill 400km and 5 minutes for an EV.
Hence a factor of 10 difference, great progress, but as yet we have a way to go before we achieve Charging at the Speed of a Petrol Pump.
This post has been built based on the support of and sponsorship from: Quarto Technical Services, Eatron Technologies and About:Energy
Note: this is a simple analysis and the battery is only a buffer that can support around 3 to 4 charge events and needs more than an hour to fully charge.
References
- The world’s first! BYD launches megawatt flash charging, making charging as fast as refueling!, zhuanlan.zhihu.com
- Jerry Wan, How BYD Solve the Grid Nightmare of Megawatt Charging?, LinkedIn
- New BYD electric car platform brings 1000kW charging, 1084bhp, Autocar
How BYD Solve the Grid Nightmare of Megawatt Charging? Jerry Wan [2]
Let’s look closer to BYD’s new All-Liquid-Cooled Megawatt Charger, isn’t just about speed. It’s a masterclass in redefining charging infrastructure economics. 🔌🔋
⚡ The “Impossible Math” Solved
Traditional megawatt charging requires a 1,600kVA transformer ($$$$), brutal grid loads, and $$$ civil works. BYD’s system?
– Transformer Size Slashed: 315kVA (80% smaller!) → cuts grid strain and saves $40k/year in post-2030 utility fees.
– Cost Halved: Total station build drops from ~$70k to $15k (transformer + construction).
– Secret Sauce: Integrated 225kWh battery storage buffers grid demand, enabling 1MW charging with a fraction of the power draw.
🔋 Storage Meets Speed: The Killer Combo
– 5-Minute 400km Charge: Matches gas station speed, no swap stations needed.
– Grid-Friendly: Storage absorbs peak loads, avoiding costly grid upgrades.
– Profit Play: Off-peak charging + peak discharge turns stations into virtual power plants (VPPs).
🌍 Why This Will Go Viral
1. Scalability: Tiny footprint + low grid dependency = rapid nationwide rollout.
2. Policy Proof: Dodges post-2030 “basic electricity fee” traps (saves ~$4k/month per station).
3. Storage Gold Rush: Each charger needs a battery – 3M+ EVs in China alone could birth a $30B+ storage market (bigger than commercial & industrial ESS!).
📊 BYD vs. Traditional Chargers
Metric BYD’s System | Legacy Megawatt Charger
Transformer Size 315kVA | 1,600kVA
Build Cost $15k | $50k+
Grid Impact Low (storage-buffered) | High (direct grid pull)
ROI Timeline <3 years | 5–7 years
🔥 The Bigger Picture
“This isn’t just charging – it’s energy infrastructure democratization,” said Lian Yubo, BYD’s Engineering VP. With 4,000+ stations planned, BYD is turning every charger into a grid asset, not a liability.
💡 Question:
Could this model make standalone ESS projects obsolete?