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Chinese giant BYD will soon launch an electric car claimed to be capable of adding 600km of lab-tested driving range in just five minutes.
Electric Cars
BYD is set to open ultra-fast charging stations in Australia later this year that are capable of recharging an electric car almost as fast as filling with petrol.
The Chinese car giant will open the first 'Flash' charging stations in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide by the end of this year, capable of supplying up to 1500kW – nearly four times more than the current most powerful plugs in Australia (400kW).
It will be rated to enable BYD luxury brand Denza's upcoming Z9 GT – confirmed for Australia today, and due in showrooms by September – to charge from 10 to 97 per cent in as little as nine minutes.
This could equate to the replenishment up to 900km of driving range – based on the lenient Chinese CLTC lab-based standard overall driving range rating of 1036km stated for Chinese models – but likely to equate to about 700km in real-world conditions.
Only five minutes are needed for a claimed 10 to 70 per cent recharge – a time akin to refuelling a petrol-powered car.
Prices are yet to be confirmed for the Denza Z9 GT, a luxury station wagon larger than a BMW 5 Series, with available tri-motor all-wheel drive developing up to 850kW, and new BYD Blade 2.0 battery technology.
Using Chinese prices as a guide, it may start from about $90,000 drive-away – half the price of the least expensive Porsche Taycan electric car.
Deliveries of the Denza Z9 GT are planned to begin in the third quarter of 2026 (July to September), ahead of the first Flash chargers opening at "selected Denza dealers in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide" between October and December.
The nine-minute 10 to 97 per cent charge time calim smashes the record for the fastest-charging electric car sold in Australia, currently held by the Zeekr 7X electric SUV.
It can accept up to 450kW – something the current charging infrastructure cannot support – but once a compatible charger opens, it claims a 13-minute fill from 10 to 80 per cent.
It's unclear if the Denza chargers will open to all EV owners, but it is possible the chargers may not be compatible with all electric cars, even at a reduced power level.
The 1500kW Denza chargers will be even faster than an earlier version of Flash charging offered by BYD in China, 'limited' to 1000kW.
The Z9 GT will debut BYD's new Blade 2.0 battery technology in Australia, as well as a new 'e3' architecture with three electric motors – two at the rear, one at the front – for improved performance.
Flagship all-wheel-drive versions are claimed to produce "around" 850kW, enough to make it Australia's most powerful new car, beating the 815kW Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
A zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 2.7 seconds is claimed, half a second behind the near-$500,000 Porsche.
In China, the high-performance tri-motor variant claims 820km of range in the country's relatively lenient CLTC lab tests, using a 122.5kWh battery pack.
Instead, the headline 1036km range rating applies to a rear-wheel-drive variant with the same battery but only one 370kW motor, claimed 0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds, or as quick as a Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch.
The tri-motor drivetrain is also claimed to aid maneuverability when parking, using the individual rear electric motors to help swing the back of the car into parallel spaces – likely at the expense of tyre wear.
The Z9 GT will be the first BYD group vehicle sold in Australia with air suspension, which is claimed to work with the car's electronics to "manage a [tyre] blowout at highway speeds in milliseconds" without spinning the car out of control.
Inside, features will include nappa leather upholstery, ventilated massaging seats with legrests, an augmented-reality head-up display, a Devialet premium sound system, 128-colour ambient lighting, and an in-built fridge.
The Denza Z9 GT will make its Australian debut at the Melbourne motor show this weekend, ahead of its on-sale date slated for the third quarter of this year (July to September).
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
