Charging times and charger locations are two big obstacles to overcome when drivers consider making the switch to an electric vehicle.
For many motorists, it doesn’t make sense to replace a petrol or diesel car with something with less range, fewer places to charge and that costs the same or even more to run than an ICE vehicle.
Fast charging
As technology continues to improve, the price of new EVs has fallen below that of a new petrol car, and the expansion the charging network — combined with faster charging times — means that making the switch is becoming much more appealing.
Not only does it make owning an EV more sustainable, it also creates opportunities to make savings, which is a huge selling point for the motor trade.
And Chinese EV manufacturer BYD’s new range of super-fast chargers that can charge an EV battery to 70% in five minutes – the average time drivers spend filling up at the petrol pumps – speeds things up even further.
Technology news site The Verge reports BYD has already installed its first superfast Flash Chargers in England and Germany, as it marches towards a total of 3,000 across Europe by the end of 2027, with 600 in the UK.
The Verge notes a Financial Times report that puts the cost of the chargers at £450,500 each, BYD’s total investment will be £1.5 billion to install the network which can set the bar for others and has the potential to be a game changer.
On the move
It notes that the 1,500kW charging stations are “significantly more powerful than Tesla’s 500kW V4 Superchargers, though Tesla already has 20,000 of them installed in Europe, with a further positive note.
“BYD, which has been progressively overtaking Tesla in global sales, says its chargers shouldn’t add undue strain to the energy grid, as they all charge cars from batteries, which can be topped up overnight.”
Another bonus for EV drivers is that the BYD super-fast chargers can be used by any vehicle with a standard CCS charge port. But the top recharging speeds — which includes 97% in 9 minutes — are only currently achievable with BYD cars equipped with the company’s new Blade Battery.
At the moment, this is only the Denza Z9 GT, which at £98,000 is beyond the reach of most motorists.
However, what it does demonstrate is that advances are happening quickly and technology is being developed to make recharging an EV as quick as filling up the tank.
Savings
As well as no LEZ, ULEZ or congestion zone charges to pay, drivers can make the greatest savings by charging their vehicles at home, overnight.
A tank of petrol for a family-size car currently costs £83 and £131 for diesel, delivering between 19p and 21p per mile. But BYD’s figures show that home charging can bring the cost down to 3p per mile and 18p per mile for rapid public charging, which is on a par with what ICE vehicle owners currently pay.
As an example, it says the BYD DOLPHIN charged to 100% will cost £10.81, which works out at 5.7p per mile, with average BYD range being 220 to 320 miles.
Final barrier
At the UK launch of Flash Charging at BYD headquarters last month, the company unveiled the chargers as an important step forward in next-generation charging technology, adding that it believes the widespread availability of its 5-minute chargers could remove the “final barrier” stopping drivers buying an electric vehicle.
It shared: “We were proud to welcome Stella Li, BYD Executive Vice President, to acknowledge the moment and the progress behind it, enabled by BYD’s 2nd Generation Blade Battery technology. The first UK deployment of Flash Charging will be experienced by DENZA Z9GT owners.
“We look forward to sharing more about Flash Charging as it rolls into its next phase in the UK, supporting faster, more seamless electric mobility.”
