Tesla has a new problem in China. BYD is finally rolling out its megawatt flash chargers at scale, and the specs leave Superchargers in the dust. These new units push 1360kW, enough to add roughly 400 kilometers of range in about five minutes.
The timing matters. BYD has talked up this technology before but held back on deployment. Now construction is visibly underway based on the social media posts as reported by Car News China, and the company is betting that ultra-fast charging will pull more drivers to its EVs.
The numbers are hard to ignore. BYD’s system runs at 1000V and 1000A to hit that peak, a level Tesla hasn’t reached with its Superchargers. The company claims “1 second 2 kilometers,” which trims a 400km top-up to roughly five minutes plugged in.
Liquid cooling keeps the hardware from melting under that load. It runs through both the cables and the terminal itself, so you can sustain max current without overheating. The design also solves a physical annoyance, dual cables suspended from a pulley system. No more wrestling heavy lines or hunting for a cord that reaches your port.
There is a smart grid play here too. The piles store electricity during off hours and release it when demand spikes. That keeps output steady at 1MW and dodges the expensive demand charges that kill fast-charger economics.
The gap is stark. Tesla’s V3 Superchargers cap out at 250kW. Even the upcoming V4 cabinets, expected to hit 350kW for Cybertruck, fall short of BYD’s 1360kW peak. Real-world charging curves will taper, but that headroom still matters.
Charging speed is now a purchase driver. Tesla built its empire on range and network size. BYD is attacking the other variable, how fast you can leave. Liquid cooling means these chargers can sustain high power without the sag that plagues older fast chargers.
Cost explains the delay. The source notes this hardware is expensive, which is why BYD took so long to scale. But with construction now visible, the company is signaling that the math finally works. Local battery storage also helps keep prices reasonable by flattening demand peaks.
Network size still favors Tesla. Superchargers are everywhere and they just work. But BYD is closing the gap where it stings most, the actual minutes you spend waiting. The pulley system and liquid cooling also suggest these piles might stay reliable as more EVs pile on.
The open question is rollout speed. BYD needs to prove it can build this network as fast as it builds cars. If the deployment matches the charger specs, Tesla might need an answer sooner than the next Supercharger update.
Keep an eye on construction timelines in China. That is where this race will be won or lost.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.