BYD says new fast-charging system could be as quick as filling up a tank

Perceived Significance of BYD’s Fast-Charging System

• Some see this as a rare “real” EV breakthrough rather than the usual lab-only battery hype, noting it’s already going into production models.
• Five‑minute charging is framed as practical parity with ICE refueling; beyond this, further speed gains have diminishing returns.
• Others downplay it as an incremental advance and question whether it meaningfully changes everyday user behavior.

Technical Aspects: 1 MW, C‑Rates, and Battery Life

• System is reported around 1,000 V / 1,000 A, with liquid‑cooled cables needed to keep weight and heat manageable.
• Discussion of 4C vs 10C charging: some say conventional Li‑ion already tolerates ~4C; claims of 10C LFP packs are seen as potentially “marketing C” unless degradation under real cycles is disclosed.
• Concerns persist about long‑term battery health, though others note modern EV packs generally last longer than expected. Solid-state is mentioned as a future mitigator.

Grid and Infrastructure Concerns

• Debate over impact:
  • One side argues average energy demand doesn’t change—faster charging just means fewer plugs for the same traffic.
  • The opposing view stresses peak load: clusters of 1 MW chargers look like industrial loads (e.g., electric arc furnaces) and strain transformers and transmission.
• Proposed mitigations: on‑site batteries or supercapacitors to buffer power; dynamic pricing to limit concurrent fast charging; expectation that China can expand infrastructure faster than many Western grids.

Fast Charging vs. Swappable Batteries

• Some advocate standardized, swappable packs (especially for fleets and trucks) to allow slow, cheap off‑vehicle charging.
• Others highlight problems: ownership and liability (getting back a worse pack), mechanical complexity, connector wear, safety, and lack of cross‑OEM standardization. NIO’s swap model is cited as working but niche.

China, Competition, and Policy

• Several comments argue Chinese EVs (including BYD) are now ahead on tech, price, and manufacturing, and that Western industries—especially German—are at risk if policy and investment don’t adjust.
• Counterpoints note German carmakers remain profitable and that wage differences and decades of accumulated manufacturing capability, not just subsidies or lax standards, explain China’s cost advantage.
• Tariffs in the US/Canada are seen as shielding consumers from highly competitive Chinese EVs, for better or worse.

Environmental and Health Tangents

• A study on elevated lithium in Beijing mothers/newborns sparks debate on links to battery industry vs other sources and on Chinese information control.
• Some push back on using this as a generic anti‑China talking point, calling it xenophobic when disconnected from evidence.

UX and Privacy Concerns

• A thread criticizes EVs becoming “iPhones on wheels” with telemetry, subscriptions, and intrusive infotainment.
• Responses range from “buy a simpler EV and disable connectivity” to resigned views that privacy is poor across all modern cars, ICE and EV alike.