A vehicle is being charged at the megawatt flash-charging station in Longhua District. Bai Nianping
Shenzhen driver Liu stopped at a new charging station on his way home, plugged in his electric vehicle and walked to a convenience store about 10 meters away. By the time he returned with his drinks, the car was fully charged.
The stop took less than five minutes—a glimpse of what the city's first megawatt-class flash-charging facility can deliver.
The station, which recently began operating near Meilinguan Station on Metro 6 in Longhua District, is the first of its kind in South China. It was jointly developed by Longhua Investment Holding Group and BYD.
The site has 10 flash-charging posts with 20 connectors and 15 ultra-fast posts with 30 connectors. It uses BYD's all-liquid-cooled flash-charging system, with peak output of up to 1,500 kilowatts per connector. Vehicles equipped with BYD's Blade Battery can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes and reach nearly full capacity in nine minutes. That represents a 40% efficiency gain over conventional ultra-fast chargers.
Liu, who has driven an electric vehicle for more than four years, recently bought a model that supports flash charging and came to test the station. Charging his previous vehicle at home typically took nearly an hour.
"This time, I didn't even have time to walk away before the car was charged," Liu said. "It's fast and convenient—just something you do on the way."
Another driver, Gao, stopped after spotting the station while passing by. His vehicle cannot use the station's full output, but it still took about 30 minutes to charge fully, compared with over 40 minutes at a conventional fast-charging post.
"Ten minutes may not sound like much," Gao said. "But when you're in a hurry, those 10 minutes matter."
The facility features a cyan exterior and a T-shaped overhead-rail system that allows charging cables to hang from both sides, preventing them from dragging on the ground and making them easier to handle. BYD owners do not need to scan a code. The system recognizes the vehicle and starts charging within five to six seconds after plug-in.
BYD unveiled its megawatt ultra-fast charger in March 2025, calling it the industry's first charger to use megawatts as its power rating and marking the beginning of the megawatt era for electric vehicle charging.
According to media reports, BYD is developing second-generation megawatt flash-charging facilities with a maximum output of 2,100 kilowatts. The company is also expanding overseas, planning to build about 3,000 fast-charging stations across Europe by the end of 2026.
