BYD's EV charging revolution? Chinese brand to launch 1000-volt architecture for its new electric car range next month: reports

Electric car (EV) giant BYD will launch 1000-volt architecture on its new EV models as soon as next month, which could see its cars add 300km of range in as little as five minutes of charging, according to CarNewsChina.

China-based car blog Autopixel said the technology will debut on BYD’s new Dynasty range of EVs, such as the Han L and Tang L teased by the brand in January, in what could be the next major advancement in EV technology.

1000-volt battery architecture more than doubles the voltage of the 400-volt architecture that is currently supplied on most EVs.

Higher-voltage platforms work by increasing the rate of energy transferred to the battery from its charging unit over a shorter period, while improving battery efficiency by reducing the opportunities for energy to be lost during the power transfer.

A higher voltage also means the current (or amperage) needed is much lower, meaning that thinner cables and less electrical components are required, helping to reduce the weight of the car. A lighter EV requires less energy to accelerate, which improves the car’s overall efficiency.

A new breed of 1000-volt BYD fast-chargers have also been spied in China offering a 6C charging rate. 1C equals a full battery charge in an hour, so 6C indicates a full charge in one sixth of an hour.

It's no secret that BYD has been working on 1000-volt architecture for some time, despite several of its models sold in Australia, such as the Sealion 7 and Atto 3, still equipped with 400-volt architecture.

800-volt architecture is currently employed on its Tesla Model 3 rival, the BYD Seal, while it is also utilised on several rival models from Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, Porsche and XPeng. BMW will move to 800-volt architecture later this year with its Neue Klasse platform.

In China, where BYD’s 1000-volt models will debut, competition is arguably much fiercer. Currently, Xiaomi’s flagship SU7 sedan supports 900-volt charging as well as Nio’s ET9 and its entry-level L60 from its Onvo sub-brand.