With new energy vehicle penetration now above 60 percent, battery performance has become a decisive competitive arena. In an interview with 36kr Auto, Sun Huajun, chief technology officer of BYD’s battery division, stood firmly behind the company’s second-generation Blade Battery and its “Flash Charge” system.

When paired with a 1,500 kW charging station, the upgraded Blade Battery can go from 10 percent to 97 percent in nine minutes at room temperature. Even at –30 °C, charging from 20 percent to 97 percent takes only three minutes longer. To bring rapid charging across the country, BYD’s “Flash Charge China” initiative plans to roll out 20,000 fast-charging stations by the end of the year; 5,924 stations were already in place as of May 6.

Some industry observers have raised concerns that ultra-fast charging will generate excessive heat—potentially topping 65 °C to 70 °C—damaging the battery’s solid electrolyte interphase and compromising both lifespan and safety. Sun brushed these objections aside as “outdated experience,” pointing out that earlier moves from 1C to 5C charging rates met similar doubt. He highlighted the Blade Battery’s symmetrical cell structure, dual-surface cooling design, and optimized dimensions, which cut internal resistance and promote even temperature distribution. BYD says it carried out more than 1,000 full-power charge cycles and simulated extreme long-distance trips—including a drive from Hainan to Harbin—to confirm reliability before mass production.

Sun also addressed criticism that using lithium iron phosphate batteries in vehicles priced above 250,000 yuan (roughly $36,800) represents a downgrade. He cited the Yangwang U9 supercar, which costs over 10 million yuan (about $1.47 million) and uses LFP technology to deliver impressive acceleration and handling. “Safety is the ultimate luxury,” he said, arguing that genuine “high-end” status should be defined by customer experience and engineering, not solely by energy density.

Looking ahead, BYD continues to explore sodium-ion, solid-state, and lithium-free anode technologies to push its electrochemistry forward. Sun believes that mastering a full charge in under ten minutes will raise the barriers to entry in the industry, requiring deep research and tightly integrated engineering.