China is dominating the global electric vehicle market. According to International Energy Agency data, China accounted for over 70% of global electric vehicle production in 2024. Today, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers lead US automakers in both product pricing and technology. The 5-minute "flash charging" stations serve as a prime example.

This spring, two major Chinese automakers announced breakthroughs in battery technology, enabling electric vehicles to achieve hundreds of kilometers of range with just 5 minutes of charging. After traveling to China to test drive BYD Company Limited's new "flash charging" electric vehicles, Patrick George, editor-in-chief of InsideEVs, stated that China's electric vehicle models are "almost one to two generations ahead of the rest of the world."

It's easy to imagine how 5-minute "flash charging" technology could transform American drivers' attitudes toward electric vehicles. Widely distributed charging stations, combined with charging speeds comparable to the time needed to fill up a gas tank at a station, would largely help alleviate the "range anxiety" that prevents many people from purchasing electric vehicles.

However, analysts indicate that US car buyers are unlikely to access 5-minute "flash charging" technology anytime soon. Here's why.

BYD Company Limited's "megawatt flash charging" system depends on two factors: first, vehicles capable of rapid charging, and second, charging stations capable of quickly delivering compatible power from the grid. BYD Company Limited, now the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, has developed a battery with peak charging power reaching 1,000 kilowatts (1 megawatt). Charging at this peak power for 5 minutes can provide approximately 400 kilometers of range for electric vehicles equipped with this battery.

Currently, most electric vehicles in the US market can only charge at peak powers of 400 kilowatts or lower. "This is a huge leap, with charging speeds nearly triple that of other companies in the industry," said Ryan Fisher, head of charging infrastructure at BloombergNEF.

These "flash charging" electric vehicles sell for approximately $37,000 in China, significantly lower than new fast-charging electric vehicles sold elsewhere. For example, Tesla's Cybertruck electric pickup truck starts at around $70,000 in the US.

According to Fisher, while other automakers may eventually develop "megawatt flash charging" systems, this won't happen overnight. Based on high-quality patents for many clean energy technologies, including batteries, China has rapidly moved ahead of the rest of the world.

Currently, few Chinese brand vehicles are sold in the US, as both the Trump administration and its predecessors have imposed prohibitively high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other products to keep them out.

BYD Company Limited has announced plans to build over 4,000 megawatt flash charging stations across China. Compared to the US, the process of building such high-power charging stations in China may proceed more smoothly.

Bill Russo, founder and CEO of consulting firm Automobility Limited, stated that the Chinese government views electric vehicle charging stations as critical infrastructure, similar to how the US treats highway maintenance. "This enables China to build high-power charging centers directly connected to the grid, and sometimes even directly to high-voltage transmission lines, avoiding the delays that typically plague utility upgrades across the US," Russo said. "In China, the path forward is more direct."

In the US, the Biden administration's efforts to accelerate electric vehicle charging network construction were halted by the Trump administration this year and only resumed this month. It remains unclear to what extent Trump's significant reduction in supportive policies will slow the growth of the electric vehicle industry in the US.

Russo noted that in the context of the US lacking policies supporting the phase-out of internal combustion engine vehicles, domestic US automakers also lack the incentive to invest heavily in the electric vehicle sector.

Russo believes that in the long term, China's current achievements in the electric vehicle industry are primarily due to early investments in charging networks. "I think one aspect we haven't given China enough credit for is that even before the electric vehicle market had formed, China was already undertaking related infrastructure investment projects. Because China understood that without related infrastructure investment, there would never be a market."