Fat Lady Singing for Musk as BYD Unveils New ‘Operatic’ EV Which Takes 5 Minutes to Charge

Chinese EV maker BYD BYDDY -0.54% ▼ unveiled a new car which charges in 5 minutes and boasts an ‘opera like’ entertainment kit in the UK. It could be another spanner in the works for rival Tesla TSLA -0.36% ▼ , led by Elon Musk, in the wider European market.

Claim 70% Off TipRanks Premium

• Unlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions

• Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis and maximize your portfolio’s potential

Flash Charging Tech

Car brand Denza, owned by BYD, said it is bringing its first vehicle – the Denza Z9GT –  to the U.K. and Europe this year.

It will be the first in Europe to be compatible with BYD’s Flash Charging technology, which can juice up an EV in the same time it does for petrol or diesel-powered cars.

The Denza Z9GT will be able to charge at speeds up to 1,500kW – charging the battery from 10 to 70% in just five minutes. Utilizing BYD’s 122kWh Blade Battery 2.0 unit it can do a full charge in just nine minutes.

BYD – the world’s biggest EV seller after recently overtaking Tesla – says the EV can undergo a near full charge (10 to 97%) in only nine minutes.

BYD has already said it intends to install hundreds of Flash Chargers in the UK and Europe this year. It has reportedly 4,239 Flash Charging stations in its home country, with another 16,000 installations forecast for 2026.

Pressure on Tesla

The move puts further pressure on Tesla, whose U.K. sales performance has been hit by a range of factors including Musk’s flirtation with right-wing figures.

But it is not only in charging where BYD threatens to leave rivals in the rear-view mirror. BYD calls the vehicle an ‘opera house entertainment experience’ with its bespoke speaker setup with French audio partner Devialet that features Dolby Atmos to place sounds precisely around the cabin.

Stella Li, BYD executive vice president, said: ‘The Z9GT represents the true spirit of Denza – where advanced technology, beautiful design and emotional driving come together. It’s the perfect choice to introduce the principle of ‘Ready in 5, Full in 9, Cold Add 3’ to the world, as we start our global rollout of FLASH Charging in Europe. The ability to add hundreds of kilometres of range in just minutes, even in extremely low temperatures, means the Z9GT perfectly reflects our vision for DENZA.”

The hope is that being able to charge quickly and the additional range will answer some of the concerns of gas-engine fans thinking about making the switch to EVs.

What are the Best EV Stocks to Buy Now?

We have rounded up the best EV stocks to buy now using our TipRanks comparison tool.

Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue