The milestone was marked on August 28 at BYD’s flagship facility in Shenzhen’s Longhua district. The company began its latest charging rollout in March and has now completed half of its target of 20,000 stations across China by the end of 2026, Global China EV reported.
BYD says the network has expanded by an average of roughly 55 stations per day since the rollout began. Reaching 20,000 stations by December 31 would require the company to significantly increase that pace, with around 80 additional stations needing to be opened each day for the remainder of the year.
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The year-end target includes approximately 18,000 urban charging stations and 2,000 highway locations, designed to serve both everyday commuters and drivers traveling longer distances.
The network has already attracted around 1.83 million registered users, according to BYD. Nearly one-third of those users drive vehicles made by other manufacturers, suggesting the infrastructure is becoming a broader charging network rather than a service limited to BYD customers.
The company also reports that its stations have delivered approximately 210 million kilowatt-hours of electricity so far.
From Shenzhen to China’s remote regions
BYD’s Flash Charging network now stretches across a large portion of China, including some of the country’s most remote areas.
Stations have been installed as far east as Shuangyashan in Heilongjiang, west to Kashgar in Xinjiang, south to Sanya in Hainan and north to Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia. BYD has also deployed chargers in challenging environments, including the desert conditions of Turpan and the high-altitude area near Everest Base Camp.
The network currently covers roughly 325 cities.
BYD has also partnered with major Chinese companies to speed up construction. In June, the automaker reached an agreement with Sinopec to transform underused gas station locations into EV charging sites. PetroChina, CNOOC, TELD and JD.com have also been involved in efforts to expand the infrastructure.
Nine-minute charging claim puts pressure on rivals
The biggest selling point of BYD’s Flash Charging technology is its charging speed.
The company’s latest charging hardware can deliver up to 1,500 kW across two connectors. When combined with BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery, compatible vehicles can reportedly charge from 10% to 97% in nine minutes, while reaching 70% in around five minutes.
That puts the technology far closer to the refueling time of conventional gasoline vehicles.
BYD is not alone in pursuing extremely rapid charging. Geely has claimed that one of its systems can charge a vehicle from 10% to 70% in 4 minutes and 22 seconds, while CATL is developing technology aimed at charging from 10% to 80% in less than four minutes.
The Song Ultra EV is leading the push
BYD’s charging strategy is closely tied to the Song Ultra EV, the first vehicle built around its Flash Charging platform.
The electric SUV was launched in March with prices starting at approximately 151,900 yuan ($22,600) and rising to around 179,900 yuan ($26,770) for the longest-range version.
BYD says sales of the Song Ultra EV exceeded 70,000 units by August 28. The model generated more than 61,000 orders during its first month on the market.
The SUV is offered with claimed CLTC ranges of 605 kilometers (376 miles) and 710 kilometers (441 miles), depending on the battery and trim. Its largest battery has a capacity of 82.7 kWh, while both versions use a 1,000-volt electrical architecture and BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery.
The company has also offered buyers a year of free Flash Charging, further linking the vehicle’s appeal to the expanding charging network.
BYD looks beyond China
BYD’s ambitions extend beyond the domestic market.
The company has said it plans to deploy approximately 3,000 Flash Charging points in Europe and another 3,000 in other overseas markets.
The international expansion could intensify competition over charging speed as automakers race to reduce one of the biggest barriers to wider EV adoption: long charging times.
For BYD, however, the bigger challenge may be maintaining its extraordinary construction pace. Reaching 20,000 stations by the end of the year will require the company to nearly double its current rollout speed.
If it succeeds, BYD could turn Flash Charging from a showcase technology into a widespread part of everyday EV infrastructure — potentially changing expectations for how long drivers should have to wait before getting back on the road.
