The end of waiting at charging stations? New Chinese sedan handles charging power of over 1 megawatt

Charging-Speed Race Heats Up: New Chinese Sedan Surpasses 1 Megawatt

The race to charge electric vehicles faster on the Chinese market is accelerating and pushing beyond limits that still seemed like science fiction just a few years ago. Only recently, automaker BYD unveiled a vehicle capable of charging at more than 1 megawatt, but rival group Geely did not stand still and is now responding forcefully. Its premium brand Lynk & Co has officially revealed an upgraded electric sedan called the 10+, whose high-voltage architecture and innovative battery pack enable charging at a shocking power level exceeding 1.1 megawatts. With this move, the time spent at a charging station is beginning to realistically match the time an ordinary driver spends refueling fossil fuels at a gas station.

To 80% in just 5 minutes

At the heart of this technological innovation is a 900-volt architecture paired with a special battery that the manufacturer calls Shield Gold Brick. The automaker published official data according to which the 10+ can replenish energy from 10% to 70% capacity in a breathtaking 4 minutes and 22 seconds. Charging to 80% takes just 5 minutes and 32 seconds, while the system maintains an average charging power of 492 kW during that window.

Even more impressively, charging almost to full, specifically from 10% to 97%, takes only 8 minutes and 42 seconds, although in the final phase the average power naturally drops to 272 kW in order to protect the battery cells. With these figures, the Lynk & Co 10+ slightly outperforms even BYD’s latest technologies, which need around 9 minutes to reach 97% charge.

Charging Infrastructure and Real-World Range

To achieve such extreme figures, the car alone is not enough; appropriate charging infrastructure is also essential. This performance was demonstrated at an ultra-fast Zeekr V4 charging station, officially rated to deliver up to 1.2 MW of power. Like BYD, the Geely Group is also building its own charging-station ecosystem, although its network is still comparatively smaller.

The vehicle is equipped with a battery of approximately 100 kWh, which according to the Chinese CLTC test cycle provides a rated range of 816 km. Although the European and American cycles are stricter and the real-world range will be somewhat lower, the on-board computer in the demonstration video showed a range of 795 km at 97% charge, confirming the drivetrain’s high efficiency.

High Power and Questions About Battery Lifespan

However, the Lynk & Co 10+ is not just a showcase of charging capability. The sedan is built on Geely’s modular SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform, which it shares, for example, with the recently updated Zeekr 001 model. In addition to advanced cell cooling, which is critical for megawatt charging, the car also offers top-tier dynamic performance. The flagship version delivers 912 horsepower (approximately 680 kW) and reaches a top speed of 240 km/h.

However, experts are raising legitimate questions about the long-term lifespan and degradation of battery cells when regularly exposed to such extreme thermal and energy stress. Although the 10+ is primarily intended for the Chinese market, the Lynk & Co brand also has a strong presence in Europe, suggesting that super-fast charging could soon become a reality on the European continent as well.

Source: mojelektromobil.sk