The Latest Way BYD Is Topping Tesla
Written by Daniel Miller for The Motley Fool -> BYD has caught up with EV leaders in a short time since ending internal combustion engine vehicle production in 2022. BYD recently unveiled its newest fast-charging system, which is powerful compared to rivals'. BYD's charging ne
BYD has caught up with EV leaders in a short time since ending internal combustion engine vehicle production in 2022.
BYD recently unveiled its newest fast-charging system, which is powerful compared to rivals'.
BYD's charging network could surpass Tesla's globally by the end of the decade.
China's juggernaut electric vehicle (EV) maker, BYD (OTC: BYDDY) , has taken the world by storm over the past few years. Considering the automaker only stopped producing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in 2022, switching its entire product lineup to EVs and plug-in hybrids, overtaking Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) in EV sales for the full-year 2025 was impressive. Now BYD is taking it a step further and outdoing Tesla in another aspect, one that was critically important to the latter's initial surge.
One of the most valuable developments for the broader U.S. EV industry was Tesla's expanding Supercharger network. It was crucial as it helped reduce range anxiety, which was one of the biggest barriers to mainstream EV adoption. Building a reliable, expanding, and, maybe most importantly, fast-charging system quickly enabled early adopters to jump on board. It turned long-range EV travel into reality.
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BYD is trying to take it a step further for its own expansion, and in some ways, the Chinese EV maker's charging network is making its rivals' networks appear slow. BYD has deployed 5,700 Flash Charging stations in China in just a few months and has also opened its first overseas charging stations in Europe. BYD isn't resting on its laurels either and is targeting 20,000 stations in China by the end of this year.
These charging stations can deliver up to 1,500 kW of power, roughly 3 times the output of Tesla's latest V4 Superchargers. BYD's partnership with Sinopec, China's largest fuel retail network boasting over 30,000 stations, could accelerate the network rollout even further. Electrek ran the numbers, and it won't take long for BYD to surpass Tesla's network: "If both companies continue at their current growth rates -- Tesla at roughly 18% annual growth, BYD at the pace implied by its 2026 targets -- BYD's network (measured in stall-equivalents) could surpass Tesla's globally between 2029 and 2030 -- in just roughly 4 years."
