--- title: "Tesla Competitor Reveals Electric Car That Can Charge in Five Minutes" description: "As slumping EV giant Tesla's sales slow to a crawl, the star of Chinese equivalent BYD is rising. Yesterday, the Shenzhen-based corporation revealed In the past 24 hours, BYD's market value surpassed Ford, General Motors, and Volkswagen combined — a first for the company.   China must become global exporter of EVs (where is BYD coming)   \"The problem is with self driving vehicles, it's just such a difficult thing. [Tesla] hasn't tested the vehicles on public roads,\" said David Welch, Bloomberg's Detroit Bureau Chief. \"If Tesla's going to rush into this, I think for investors there's sort of a […]" date: "2025-03-18" modified: "2025-03-18" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/tesla-byd-electric-vehicle-charge-five-minutes" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "BYD" - "evs" - "tesla" --- # Tesla Competitor Reveals Electric Car That Can Charge in Five Minutes ![tesla-byd-electric-vehicle-charge-five-minutes]() *\Image: BYD\* As slumping EV giant Tesla's [sales slow to a crawl](), rival Chinese company BYD is starting to eat its lunch. Yesterday, the Shenzhen-based corporation revealed a lineup of cars it claims can soak up nearly 250 miles' worth of battery charge in just five minutes — just a *hair* longer than the time it takes to pump a traditional car full of gasoline. The buzzy new tech will be available next month in BYD's flashy new [Han L sedan](). That announcement sent shockwaves through the EV space and beyond, and it's not hard to see why. If the claims hold up, BYD's system will be at least twice as fast as Li Auto's [Mega MPV](), which can charge about 310 miles in 12 minutes, and more than three times more efficient than Tesla's record of a 170-mile charge in 18 minutes, according to [*Bloomberg* analysis](). Since announcing the Han L, BYD's market value has skyrocketed. In just one day, BYD's valuation surpassed Ford, General Motors, and Volkswagen [combined]() — a first for the company, and a major boon for the Chinese automotive industry. Tesla's stock, meanwhile, crashed by 4 percent just on premarket trading alone, thanks to [tumbling sales in China](), [Cybertruck quality issues](), and the BYD charging race. Despite tariffs and trade war escalations, China's global slice of the EV pie is steadily growing. In 2023, China exported [1.7 million EVs]() to the rest of the world — 50 percent more than the next highest exporter, Germany. In August 2024, BYD's [global exports]() more than doubled Tesla's, a lead that's only grown in recent months as [protests]() and [Musk fatigue]() sent Tesla sales into the ground. Holding that lead on exports is going to be a huge factor in deciding whether or not BYD can become a decisive global frontrunner, as it faces [fierce resistance]() from Western policymakers. When it comes to charging infrastructure, BYD's star is [currently rising]() throughout Latin and South America, as well as other corners of the globe, like Europe and the Middle East. While Tesla currently boasts some [65,000 proprietary Superchargers]() worldwide, BYD drivers can access [800,000 universal charging points]() throughout Europe alone. One thing's for sure: the electric vehicle market is here to stay. The only question remaining is how the major players carve up their pieces of the pie as the world adjusts to rapid innovations in zero-emissions transit. As it stands, BYD is looking more and more like the gold standard in the EV world — while Tesla's US-made cars feel like [cheap knockoffs](). **More on electric vehicles:** [*Man Tests If Tesla Autopilot Will Crash Into Wall Painted to Look Like Road*]() ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()