BYD plans to bring flash charging with up to 1,000 kW charging power not only to Europe, but also to South Africa. The first locations are set to go live in April or May 2026.
This was announced by BYD’s top manager and European head Stella Li to the South African portal TechCentral. Back in June, BYD’s deputy head said the company also wanted to set up a network of megawatt charging stations for electric cars in Europe. BYD introduced ‘flash charging’ in March when it presented the new versions of the Han L EV and Tang L EV based on a 1,000-volt platform, as well as the megawatt charging stations. The technology should allow the vehicles to recharge enough power for 400 kilometres in five minutes, according to the CLTC cycle.
where the battery can go from seven to over 50 per cent in five minutes (with a 100 kWh battery), should also be possible in South Africa from next year. BYD plans to install the first flash charging stations in its rapidly growing dealer network across the country, which is expected to almost triple by the end of next year, with expansion beyond major cities to smaller towns and communities.
Installation of the charging stations will begin in April or May 2026 at BYD dealerships in South Africa, but will soon be expanded to strategic locations along the country’s motorways. “We want to cover 100% of the country,” Li said in an interview with TechCentral. “By the end of next year, we will have 200 or 300 Flash charging stations in South Africa.”
The flash chargers, which have high power demands, will be powered by a combination of mains electricity and solar energy, according to the report. Where sufficient grid capacity is available, the chargers will be connected directly. However, the solar option will enable BYD to build infrastructure outside major urban centres, Li explained. BYD had already signed an agreement with South African electricity supplier Eskom in September.
Several hundred flash chargers have already been deployed in China this year, and BYD has entered into several partnerships for further expansion, involving more than 15,000 megawatt charging stations in China alone. In Europe, an initial network of several hundred charging stations is to be established in the course of 2026, with 200 to 300 stations planned by the end of the second quarter, according to Stella Li in her official speech at the IAA in early September. According to a media report, the European solution will differ slightly from China: while two charging cables are needed for 1,000 kW in China, only one cable is planned for Europe.
Although BYD is investing in South Africa, the company has no current plans to build its own vehicle or battery factory. “Not at this point; we are too new to the market,” Li is quoted as saying in the interview. “We only invest [in manufacturing plants] where we have a big market. We are new here; we still need to understand [the market more fully].”
techcentral.co.za
