China's EV makers race to cut charging times to five minutes

Chinese electric vehicle makers are racing to develop ultra-fast charging technology that can match the five-minute refueling time of gasoline cars, aiming to ease consumer range anxiety and boost demand in the world's largest car market. Geely unveiled a system charging from 10% to 70% in 4.5 minutes, while BYD and Sunwoda claim 10% to 97% in nine minutes, and Li Auto adds 500 km in 12 minutes, far outpacing Tesla's 15-25 minute standard charges. To manage fire risks and battery degradation, manufacturers use liquid cooling networks, short-blade battery designs, and AI that predicts temperature spikes 30 seconds ahead, while integrating battery storage and solar to protect power grids.