Chinese automaker Byd continues to leave Tesla in the dust. The company launched a new battery system on Monday that claims to charge an electric vehicle in just five minutes, around the same time it needs to refuel a traditional car. This feat has long been a goal for the industry, which is still trying to overcome the picky barriers surrounding the already-retrieval buyers.
The company specifically claims it can offer a range of 249 miles in 5 minutes in its new Han L sedan. By comparison, Tesla’s optimal charging rate can add 170 miles of range within 15 minutes within one of its high-voltage superchargers. A few years ago, Elon Musk’s BET BIG built in-house, provided an extended range for the company’s vehicles and improved range, but it seemed to find battery development harder than expected, as the 4860 battery has not met expectations.
Byd’s stock rose the news, reaching a market value of about $158 billion. This year has risen about 58% so far.
Some concerns have been raised, such as the rapid charging of BYD may shorten the overall life of electric vehicle batteries, but so far there is little evidence to support the idea.
The CEO of China’s major battery maker CATL said in an interview last year that Musk “does not know how to make batteries” Reuters.
BYD is now the leading electric car manufacturer in China, founded in 1995 as a battery manufacturing company that later entered the automotive market because it realized that the future of the car will be computers on the wheels. It also assembles the iPad for Apple. It builds electric cars at a variety of prices, and its most affordable Seagull starts at just $9,700. Byd has been expanding around the world to markets such as Europe and South America, building China’s softness by creating local jobs and proving that it can succeed outside the domestic market in China.
It’s all because Musk wants to get rid of subsidies that help the industry transition to hinder U.S. auto companies. Critics in China complain that it has used subsidized cheap products to flood foreign markets, but is now profitable on electric vehicles, and if they have more time to reach scale, U.S. automakers can do the same. The United States, once a global leader in automotive, has decided to put that position in China in favor of AI and Crypto.
The transition to electric vehicles is accompanied by more painful growth expected by many in the industry, as charging infrastructure expands slowly and available chargers are often destroyed or slow. However, the development of existing infrastructure around gasoline cars over decades also makes sense that it will take time to reach maturity for electric vehicles. The fast charging feature may comfort drivers who don’t want to sit on the charger for a long time.
In addition to surpassing Tesla in price and battery performance, Byd recently announced it will add advanced autonomous driving capabilities to all vehicles. Reviewers praised Bidd’s performance.
This should remind us that Tesla’s current valuation does not make much sense. Sales have been around the world, with the company selling less than BMW vehicles, having low margins, its vehicle lineup is outdated, and full autonomy time is late. But Musk has huddled autonomous robots and robotics to keep valuation flowing. Tesla shares have fallen 40% since the beginning of 2025, partly due to Musk’s close involvement in the Trump administration.
Maybe if he didn’t spend all his time in Washington, Musk would have more time to go to Tesla, once the leader in electric cars, but now it’s the second floor compared to Bead. It seems that President Trump’s power and proximity are more valuable to him. If Tesla had a full-time CEO that didn’t make the brand toxic, it would be a shame how big Tesla would be today.
