Tesla rival BYD has lifted the lid off a new electric car charging system which could top-up batteries in just minutes. The new superchargers could give motorists hundreds of miles of electricity in just five minutes making it just as quick as filling up with petrol and diesel.

BYD founder Wang Chuanfu explained that the brand’s new Han L sedan and Tang L SUV models could receive charging power of up to 1,000 kilowatts (kW). This would be twice as fast as Tesla’s fastest plugs which offer just 500kW. Estimates suggest that BYD models could travel as far as 249 miles after just five minutes on charge.

Chuanfu Wang, BYD Group chief, explained the new technology would help combat charging anxiety among consumers.

He explained: “In order to completely solve users’ charging anxiety, our goal is to make the charging time of electric vehicles as short as the refueling time of ICE vehicles.

“This is the first time in the industry that the unit of megawatt has been achieved on charging power.”

The announcement has prompted a surge in BYD’s Hong Kong-listed share price which rose 4.1% on Tuesday to hit a record high.

To facilitate the new technology, BYD has confirmed it would be installing a new network of 4,000 “flash-charging stations” across China.

The company has not specified an exact timeline on when these would be available, but it would provide a massive step forward for the brand.

Up until now, BYD owners have mostly had to use other manufacturers’ charging facilities or public charging bays to top up.

BYD has started making serious ripples in the UK car market since it launched back in 2023.