Currently reading: BYD confirms UK's fastest EV chargers: 1500kW network detailed

New system will be open to all brands and is capable of five-minute charge times

BYD will install 300 1500kW chargers in the UK under new 'Flash' branding over the next 12 months.

The new stations, which will consist of at least 600 chargers in total, will be by far the fastest in the UK.

There will be 6000 new locations globally. The system is being spearheaded by the new Denza Z9 GT and can charge its 123kWh battery from 10% to 70% in five minutes.

Early adopters of the Z9 GT in the UK will receive 18 months' worth of free charging at the stations. BYD is calling this the Flash Pass.

The locations will not be purely BYD-owned. The Chinese company is in talks with partners to install new devices at sites where chargers are already located.

Diego Pareschi, director of EV charging at BYD, said: “We are coming into a mature market. It doesn’t make sense to create your own. People want a seamless experience and with this they will get that.”

When asked about the branding, he said: “Flash charging is more important than branding. We want it to be like USB – its own thing.”

The chargers will be open to every car manufacturer and will use the universal CCS2 charging infrastructure. They will be branded Denza at Denza dealers but will be called Flash everywhere else. Final details of the chargers have yet to be finalised, but Pareschi said high-traffic locations will be prioritised. BYD says its chargers are not a drain on the National Grid: the devices can be powered by on-site battery packs topped up by solar panels.

The ultra-fast charging creates an interesting conundrum for BYD, because the company doesn’t want to hold up its customers with other people charging at lower rates. Pareschi said: “We are still figuring out a way to disincentivise people charging at 50kW. This will be market-dependent, but we might put time caps with penalties.”

In July 2025, BYD announced it would bring 1000kW charging to the UK, but it has decided to expand this rollout because of changing market conditions and the fact that it could.

The Z9 GT from BYD-owned brand Denza will start at around £100,000 in the UK, Deliveries are expected to start in the autumn once dealers have been selected, which is likely to be in June or July.

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Murray Scullion

Murray Scullion
Title: Digital editor

Murray has been a journalist for more than a decade. During that time he’s written for magazines, newspapers and websites, but he now finds himself as Autocar’s digital editor.

He leads the output of the website and contributes to all other digital aspects, including the social media channels, podcasts and videos. During his time he has reviewed cars ranging from £50 - £500,000, including Austin Allegros and Ferrari 812 Superfasts. He has also interviewed F1 megastars, knows his PCPs from his HPs and has written, researched and experimented with behavioural surplus and driverless technology.

Murray graduated from the University of Derby with a BA in Journalism in 2014 and has previously written for Classic Car Weekly, Modern Classics Magazine, buyacar.co.uk, parkers.co.uk and CAR Magazine, as well as carmagazine.co.uk.

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bakmakapa 11 April 2026

I'm amazed by the scale of this 500kW charging network, which represents the kind of significant infrastructure investment that successful seattle factoring companies often help businesses navigate through smart cash flow management.

Autojer 9 April 2026

Installing 1,500kW (1.5 megawatt) chargers almost certainly requires both major grid upgrades from electricity suppliers and significant local infrastructure changes. A single charger at this power level draws roughly the same amount of electricity as a small town or a large factory. Ok I used AI but the source is good. They mention a lot on branding less on how they can draw so much current to their chargers.

Andrew1 9 April 2026
You should have read the article instead of showing us how smart you are you can even use AI. You pretty much show what's wrong with people today: zero attention for details and a huge appetite for showing off.
Sporky McGuffin 10 April 2026

It's amazing that you've thought of this but they somehow haven't. Perhaps you should contact them and offer your services as an expert.

jason_recliner 9 April 2026
BYD (and others) moving the game forward. Naysayers said charging time precludes purchasing an EV. Well, here's BYD reducing charging time to, realistically, not that much more than filling a tank of petrol. Respect.