Chinese battery manufacturer Sunwoda has revealed a new LFP pack on par with the best BYD has to offer and nudges ahead of CATL in the fast-charging arms race. Nine minutes is all it takes. But the real question is what that number actually means, and whether the infrastructure to use it exists anywhere outside China.
The new normal
A few years ago, charging an EV in under half an hour was headline news. Today, the Shenzhen-listed battery maker you probably know from a major recall of the Volvo EX30 is claiming a full recharge in 9 minutes. This is the new normal of the Chinese battery race, where the C-rate is climbing faster than the charging stations that can actually deliver on the promise.
At Sunwoda’s major technology day, running up to the Beijing Autoshow, the new “Xingchi Supercharge Battery 2.0” took center stage. The headline specification? A 15C peak charging rate, 1,800 A maximum current, and a 5% to 95% recharge in nine minutes. Park your car at a highway charger, grab a Snickers, pay, and you’re set.
Like an e-truck
The Xingchi technology was demonstrated in a pack containing 264 prismatic LFP cells, delivering 98.8 kWh at 844.8 V. Its peak charging power reaches that of a full-grown e-truck: 1.5 MW. Noteworthy detail: Sunwoda confirmed that ultra-fast charging would not be restricted during the warranty period, a targeted response to a widely adopted concern that has dogged previous high-speed packs.
Sunwoda’s achievement puts it in direct company with the two largest battery makers in the world. CATL’s Shenxing Pro, launched at IAA in September 2025, peaks at 12C and can add 478 kilometers of WLTP range in 10 minutes (equivalent to roughly 63% state of charge).
BYD’s Blade 2.0, unveiled last month, runs at 8C peak but reaches a similar real-world endpoint: 10% to 97% in nine minutes, with a sub-five-minute sprint for the 10-70% window. What makes the BYD solution stand out is its cycle life: over 4,000, compared with Sunwoda’s roughly 1,500.
Instant peak
It is primarily the 15C headline that needs context. This C-rate describes instantaneous peak capability, not the sustained average, or rather the cruising speed. Sunwoda’s 15C is the rate at the very bottom of the charge curve, where the pack can absorb current most aggressively.
As the state of charge rises, the rate tapers sharply. Average throughput across the full nine-minute window works out closer to 6-7C. Still impressive, but not the shock the headline implies. BYD’s 10-70% window, by contrast, sustains a higher average rate over that partial sprint.
No suited chargers in Europe
However, all three of these packs require charging infrastructure that barely exists outside China. A 98.8 kWh battery recharged in 9 minutes requires roughly 660 kW on average, and, as mentioned, the peak draw exceeds 1,500 kW. With BYD’s Flashcharging network pending, the fastest public DC chargers for passenger cars currently deployed in Europe top out at 600 kW (Ionity), meaning these can barely meet the average charging rate of Sunwoda’s new pack, let alone the peak.
To sum it up: nine-minute charging is technically real. But it is a specification you can only meet at a handful of locations on earth right now, and almost none of them are in Europe. What the announcement does confirm is that the race is no longer a two-horse contest. A serious third competitor is now pushing peak LFP charging to its outer limits. The winner, though, will be the one who can provide the infrastructure to match it.
