{"text":[[{"start":10.25,"text":"BYD plans to spend nearly €2bn to develop infrastructure in Europe needed to bring its five-minute “flash-charging” technology to all of its mainstream models over the next few years."}],[{"start":22.65,"text":"The world’s largest electric vehicle maker is banking on ultrarapid charging to take market share from legacy rivals, but the expansion of the technology will hinge on how fast it can roll out charging stations across the continent. "}],[{"start":36.349999999999994,"text":"“It’s a lot of money [since] per station, it’s almost like half a million pounds,” Stella Li, the Chinese group’s top international executive, said as BYD launched its first flash-charging station in the UK. “First we need to build a very strong infrastructure network.” Each station would cost about €580,000."}],[{"start":56.14999999999999,"text":"The group plans to roll out 20,000 flash chargers in China by the end of this year and 3,000 in Europe by 2027, including 600 in the UK. "}],[{"start":66.39999999999999,"text":"The carmaker’s vehicles need to have the latest generation of BYD batteries for full flash-charging capabilities. "}],[{"start":73.55,"text":"BYD’s new Z9GT model, part of the premium Denza brand with prices starting at €115,000, can be 70 per cent charged in five minutes and almost fully charged in 12 minutes, even in temperatures as low as minus 30°C. "}],[{"start":92,"text":"Future Denza models to be introduced in Europe will have flash-charging capability but Li has said she wants to bring the battery technology to all of its lower-range models in the UK and Europe over the next several years."}],[{"start":106.3,"text":"“The challenge is not the set-up. It’s really how quickly the councils can give their permission. We can roll out really quickly,” said Bono Ge, BYD’s UK business head. "}],[{"start":117.5,"text":"The move echoes Tesla’s investment in fast Supercharger stations that helped to rapidly expand its EV sales. They can give Tesla vehicles up to 200 miles (321km) of range in 15 minutes. "}],[{"start":131.2,"text":"Li has said flash charging will remove the “final barrier” for consumers to switch to EVs, but rival industry executives remain sceptical about how quickly BYD can expand the infrastructure to bring the technology to mainstream consumers. "}],[{"start":146.14999999999998,"text":"BYD has claimed that its flash chargers will not add pressure to existing electricity grids since they take power from on-site batteries, which can be charged overnight at lower costs via the grid. "}],[{"start":158.84999999999997,"text":"“We’re going to invest more in battery storage . . . so this means any place we go, we’re not adding any burden to the grid,” Li said. "}],[{"start":166.19999999999996,"text":"BYD’s market share in the EU increased to 1.9 per cent from 0.8 per cent in the first four months of 2026, according to Acea, as the Chinese group aggressively expanded its models from larger to smaller sizes. Its growth has been even faster in the UK where it has a 3.4 per cent share, ranking above Renault and Volvo Cars. "}],[{"start":188.84999999999997,"text":"The group has also launched the Dolphin G plug-in hybrid, its first model designed for Europe and not sold in China."}],[{"start":197.34999999999997,"text":"Pointing to its line-up of current and incoming models, Li said: “That’s the beauty of BYD. I guarantee you, nobody has a car that can jump and dance, and nobody has a car that’s swimming in the water.”"}],[{"start":null,"text":"