Hongqi claims a 10-70% EV charge in under four minutes

FAW Hongqi says its new battery charges 10-70% in 3 minutes 41 seconds — but gave no mass-production date and the figures are its own.

FAW Group's Hongqi brand announced an ultra-fast charging battery in a statement around July 28, 2026. The company says the cell charges from 10% to 70% state of charge in 3 minutes 41 seconds, and from 10% to 97% in 8 minutes 3 seconds, in tests conducted at 25 degrees Celsius. It was developed in-house with China Automotive New Energy Battery Technology.

The technical claims center on a peak charging rate of 12C and internal resistance said to be 15% lower than comparable cells, achieved through composite carbon-source coating and bulk-phase doping. Intelligent liquid cooling is said to hold the temperature spread across the pack within 3 degrees during fast charging. For comparison, Hongqi cites BYD's second-generation Blade Battery at 5 minutes for 10-70% and 9 minutes for 10-97%.

Charging time is one of the core frictions keeping drivers from switching to electric vehicles. A pack that refills the usable range in under four minutes narrows the gap with a gasoline fill-up, which is the practical bar for mass adoption. If it reaches production, it makes electric mobility more convenient without requiring drivers to change habits.

The caveats are large. All figures come from Hongqi's own statement and tests, not independent verification, and the company disclosed no mass-production timeline or which model would carry the battery. The claim of beating BYD is conditional on actually reaching production. What to watch is whether an independent lab or a shipping vehicle confirms the numbers.

Source: CnEVPost