BYD's Futuristic EV Charger Can Run On Sunshine And Batteries

A robotic arm plugs in the EV, while solar panels and battery storage could bring fast charging to places not connected to the grid.

BYD off-the-grid charger in the Abu Dhabi desert

Photo by: BYD

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Nov 12, at 12:50pm ET

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BYD’s new EV charging station combines solar panels and batteries to enable fast charging without relying on the grid.
A robotic arm plugs in the car, working with automated parking to make charging hands-free.
BYD hasn’t disclosed enough technical details to show how many cars the station can charge off-grid.

BYD has already shown that charging an EV doesn’t have to take much longer than filling a gas tank. Now it’s tackling another problem: getting enough electricity to a fast charger in the first place.

Its new site in the Abu Dhabi desert combines solar panels, battery storage, Flash Charging, and a robotic arm that plugs in the car. BYD says the system can work independently of the electricity grid, potentially bringing fast charging to places where a power connection may not be feasible. The proposition is pretty simple: Solar panels generate electricity, batteries store it, and the charger sends it to an EV.

Battery-backed charging is becoming more common because it lets stations deliver more power than their grid connection alone can supply, while also reducing demand on the grid during busy periods. Tesla’s biggest Supercharger site, which it opened earlier this year, also uses solar panels and Tesla's Megapack batteries. Companies like Electric Era and Beam Global specialize in battery-backed charging. Even BYD Flash chargers not located in the middle of the desert and not supplied by solar panels use on-site energy storage to boost power delivery.

BYD off-the-grid charger in the Abu Dhabi desert

Photo by: BYD

Each of BYD's T-shaped Flash chargers is hooked up to two 185-kilowatt-hour storage batteries, for 370 kWh total. These draw power from the grid at around 100 to 560 kilowatts, then supply the car at a much higher rate. The chargers can send up to 1,500 kW through one cable, or up to 1,000 kW when both are in use at the same time.

Adding solar panels into the equation means some or even all of that electricity can be generated on-site. However, BYD hasn’t disclosed the battery capacity or solar output of this new desert installation. So it's not clear how many cars the station can charge—or how quickly—on solar power alone.

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The charging hardware is impressively quick. With BYD’s latest 1,500-kW Flash chargers, compatible cars running its second-generation Blade battery can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes, or hit 97% in nine minutes.

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Now that infrastructure is going global. The company says it plans to establish 6,000 Flash Charging stations worldwide by the end of 2027, but it hasn’t specified how many will offer solar power, off-grid operation, or that robotic arm.

Europe is getting a taste of BYD’s Flash charging with sites up and running in Italy, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Canada is coming soon too. The only vehicle it currently sells in Europe that can fully utilize its power is the Denza Z9 GT. During a demonstration, the electric wagon charged from 10% to 80% in six minutes and 32 seconds, reaching 97% in nine minutes and 22 seconds.