BYD Atto 3 adds flash charging

BYD has put its Flash Charging system into the updated Yuan Plus, the China-market model sold overseas as the Atto 3, adding one of the company’s fastest charging claims to a mass-market electric SUV. The refreshed model went on sale in China on May 21, according to Electrek, which cited BYD launch details. The company says all versions can charge from 10% to 70% in about five minutes and from 10% to 97% in nine minutes. The Atto 3 update ties a familiar global nameplate to BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery, which the company unveiled in Shenzhen on March 5. In that announcement, BYD said the new battery and charger combination set a “world record” for charging speed and would support a broader charging-station buildout in China. (electrek.co) ### Which Atto 3 is this, exactly? The vehicle in this update is the Yuan Plus sold in China, which BYD markets in many export markets as the Atto 3. Electrek said the third-generation Yuan Plus launched in China on May 21, while CarNewsChina reported on April 15 that the same model had appeared in China’s New Energy Vehicle Purchase Tax Exemption Directory. (byd.com) The China-market model comes in four variants and two battery sizes: 57.5 kWh and 68.5 kWh, according to Electrek. CarNewsChina gave the more precise pack figures from directory filings as 57.545 kWh and 68.547 kWh. ### What are the actual charging claims? BYD said on March 5 that its second-generation Blade Battery can go from 10% to 70% state of charge in five minutes and reach 97% in nine minutes. (electrek.co) Electrek reported on May 21 that all versions of the updated Yuan Plus carry that Flash Charging capability. At low temperatures, BYD said charging from 20% to 97% at minus 30 degrees Celsius takes only three minutes longer than at room temperature. That same cold-weather claim was repeated in coverage of the updated Yuan Plus and in the May 25 El-Balad report referenced for this story. (byd.com) ### Does the 630 km figure apply to every version? The 630 km figure is the top claimed range, not the range for every trim. Electrek said the smaller 57.5 kWh pack is rated at up to 540 km on the CLTC cycle, while the larger 68.5 kWh pack is rated at 630 km. CarNewsChina reported the same split from Chinese directory data. (byd.com) The test standard is CLTC, China’s domestic cycle, which typically produces higher range figures than U.S. EPA ratings. Neither BYD’s March battery announcement nor the April directory report gave an EPA-equivalent figure for the updated model. (electrek.co) ### What else changed besides charging? CarNewsChina reported the updated Yuan Plus moves to a rear-wheel-drive electric platform and grows to 4,665 mm long with a 2,770 mm wheelbase. The prior China-market Yuan Plus measured 4,455 mm long with a 2,720 mm wheelbase, the report said. (carnewschina.com) Electrek said the refreshed model starts at 119,900 yuan in China, versus 115,800 yuan for the outgoing version, and adds cabin changes including a larger 15.6-inch center screen. It also said buyers can pay extra for BYD’s God’s Eye B driver-assistance package. ### What has to be true for five-minute charging to matter? (carnewschina.com) BYD said on March 5 that it plans to build 20,000 Flash Charging stations across China and begin global rollout at scale by the end of 2026. That infrastructure plan is the next milestone to watch, because the headline charging times depend on access to BYD’s megawatt-class Flash Charger, which the company said can deliver up to 1,500 kW from a single connector. (electrek.co) (byd.com)