Geely unveiled a new ultra-fast charging system in China on Wednesday (23). According to the manufacturer, this system can charge an electric vehicle battery from 10% to 70% in just 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Under normal temperature conditions, the process from 10% to 97% takes 8 minutes and 40 seconds.
This innovation comes as a direct response to BYD, which is considered the main competitor in the Chinese market. To achieve these charging times, the system requires a 2.2 MW infrastructure, with a peak of 2,250 kW, in addition to batteries designed to accept high charging rates.
The power of this new system exceeds the capacity of BYD's Flash Charging 2.0 by approximately 50%, which operates at 1.5 MW and takes nine minutes to go from 10% to 97%. Despite this notable difference in energy delivery, the charging times practiced by both companies end up being quite similar.
This announcement occurs amid intense technological competition in the Chinese market, where electric vehicle sales have registered an 11-month consecutive decline until August. Manufacturers are competing for consumers by offering advancements in autonomous driving, greater range, and ultra-fast charging capabilities.
Regarding infrastructure, BYD plans to establish 90,000 stations by 2028, according to information cited by Deutsche Bank after a meeting with the company's board of directors.
To ensure the battery withstands this high charge without damage, Geely employs artificial intelligence both in the cloud and within the vehicle itself. Deep learning models and virtual simulations continuously monitor cell health, manage thermal control, and prevent potential risks.
The system, named Xingrui PowerMind, was developed in collaboration with the Chinese company StepFun. It aims to keep the average battery temperature around 55°C, with a maximum limit set at 65°C.
Zhang Dewang, a Geely executive, told Reuters that current charging speeds are already close to physical limits, indicating that the benefits of even faster charging tend to decrease progressively.
The complete technology, which uses a 12C rate battery, is already implemented in the Lynk & Co 10 and Zeekr 001 models, belonging to the group's premium line. For more accessible models, Geely is developing a 6C version of this new battery, which will be introduced in the updated Galaxy E5 electric SUV, promising to go from 10% to 70% in about 8 minutes and 25 seconds.
This technical scalability demonstrates an inherent limit: the charging point power can only be fully utilized if the vehicle is capable of supporting the electrical current. Compact vehicles, focused on high sales volume, generally have less robust electrical architectures and components, limiting their maximum charge absorption, regardless of the charger used. Real performance is also influenced by temperature and charge level.
In the Brazilian market, Geely operates in partnership with Renault, from which it acquired a stake in the local operation, marketing the EX2 and EX5 electric SUVs (which also have hybrid versions). Zeekr, the group's premium brand, also has a sales presence in the country.
