China's electric car maker BYD develops ultra-fast charging system

BYD said that its flash-chargers can provide a full charge for its latest EVs within five to eight minutes

BYD's news appeared to give Tesla a jolt on Monday, as the US EV maker's share price sank 4.8%. File photo: AP/Matthias Schrader

China's energy and auto giant BYD has announced an ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging system that it says is nearly as quick as a fill-up at the pumps.

BYD, China's largest EV maker, said that its flash-chargers can provide a full charge for its latest EVs within five to eight minutes, similar to the amount of time needed to fill a fuel tank. It plans to build more than 4,000 of the new charging stations across China.