Geely unveils EV system with claimed 4.5-minute charging result

Geely announces sub-five-minute charging result

Geely Auto has unveiled a new battery and charging system that it says took an electric vehicle battery from 10 to 70 per cent charge in four minutes 30 seconds. Announced in China on 23 September, the result is a test figure, not a promise that any EV can recharge in that time at an ordinary public charger. Geely also reports a 10-to-97 per cent time of eight minutes 40 seconds. ²³⁴

Electrek reports that Geely’s tests involved the Lynk & Co 10 and Zeekr 001, using its Shendun Golden Battery. Those test vehicles and their charging results should not be confused with every model covered by Geely’s broader announcement. The reported times describe different portions of a charge: the under-five-minute figure stops at 70 per cent, while reaching 97 per cent took substantially longer. ³⁶

The charger, battery and heat controls

The results depend on equipment capable of delivering power on a megawatt scale. The Age describes the charging system as capable of up to 2.2 megawatts, while Electrek reports a peak rating of 2250 kilowatts for Geely’s fifth-generation Smart Charging Station. The Age also reports an 800-volt electrical system. A charger’s peak rating is not a measurement of the power sustained throughout a charging session. ¹³

Geely says its Xingrui PowerMind system, developed with Chinese AI company StepFun, predicts battery temperature up to 30 seconds ahead and adjusts charging power. The company’s stated design targets are an average battery temperature below 55°C while charging and a peak below 65°C. Its liquid-cooling arrangement covers five parts of the charging chain: station energy storage, charger, cable, port and vehicle battery pack. These are Geely’s descriptions of how it manages heat, rather than independently verified durability results. ³⁶

Geely also says micro-pulse currents can reactivate lithium ions accumulated at negative electrodes after repeated fast charging. Combined with its charging controls, the company claims this can increase battery cycle life by up to 20 per cent. Electrek notes that the figure is a best-case claim; it does not establish how a production battery will age after years of repeated high-power charging. ³⁶

Which battery goes into which vehicle

Geely presented two battery developments with different stated charging capabilities. According to Electrek, the Shendun Golden Battery used in the Lynk & Co 10 and Zeekr 001 tests supports a peak 12C charging rate. Geely’s separate Next-Gen Ultra Short Blade Battery is intended for more affordable models and is claimed to reach a 6C peak rate. The company says changes to laser welding of its cell tabs and covers reduce heat generated during charging by 10 per cent. ³

The Age reports that an updated Galaxy E5 electric SUV will be the first Geely model to use the new technology when it goes on sale in China later in 2026. That reported launch plan does not establish that the Galaxy E5 has the same battery specification, or will reproduce the charging times recorded in the Lynk & Co and Zeekr test vehicles. The Age identifies the Galaxy E5 as a Chinese-market model and says the E5 is badged EX5 in the UK. ¹³

How rival claims compare

Geely’s result follows BYD’s March announcement of its Blade Battery 2.0. BYD claims that battery charges from 10 to 70 per cent in five minutes and from 10 to 97 per cent in nine minutes. TechCrunch reports that achieving those times requires a compatible BYD Flash Charging unit rated at 1.5 megawatts; the battery specification alone does not make a five-minute stop possible at any charger. ⁴⁵

The Associated Press also reports that CATL announced a 10-to-80 per cent time of three minutes 44 seconds and a 10-to-98 per cent time of six minutes 27 seconds for its technology in April. Those are different charge windows from Geely’s 10-to-70 and 10-to-97 per cent figures, so they do not provide a like-for-like ranking. Geely’s description of its result as industry-leading is therefore best understood in the context of the specific comparison being made. ⁴

Access to suitable chargers is another qualification. Stephen Chan of S&P Global Ratings told the Associated Press that most public charging stations in China operate below one megawatt, less than the power required for these systems to reach their full potential. BYD’s network targets offer a measure of the infrastructure involved: an analysis cited by the Associated Press put its goal at 20,000 superfast stations by the end of 2026, with further additions targeted for 2027 and 2028. Those are plans, not stations already available. ⁴⁵