Geely's New EV Battery Hits 70% Charge in 4.5 Minutes

Geely this week detailed a new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack that charges at up to 2.2 megawatts, taking a vehicle from 10 to 70 percent state of charge in 4.5 minutes and to 98 percent in 8 minutes 40 seconds, according to Ars Technica. The pack has already been fitted to production models, the Zeekr 001 and the Lynk & Co 10.

What does the new pack actually charge at?

The headline number is peak input of 2.2 MW, roughly four times the output of the fastest chargers currently deployed in the United States. Geely's stated figures, per Ars Technica, are a 10-to-70-percent fill in 4.5 minutes and a 10-to-98-percent fill in 8 minutes 40 seconds. Those numbers describe the battery's charge-acceptance rate, not the charger hardware itself — a car can only charge that fast if a station capable of delivering 2.2 MW exists to feed it.

How does the thermal management work?

Geely says an AI-driven predictive system holds average pack temperature at 55°C with a peak of 65°C during the fastest charging cycles, according to the same report. The company also says the system applies "micro pulses of current to reactivate lithium ions accumulated at the negative electrodes during repeated fast charging," which Geely claims extends battery life by 20 percent. That claim comes from Geely's own statement as relayed by Ars Technica; no independent lab test results were cited.

How does this compare with BYD and CATL?

Geely's numbers surpass a BYD product from March that charged 10-to-70 percent in 5 minutes and 10-to-97 percent in 9 minutes, per the report. CATL still holds the fastest published figures: an LFP pack unveiled in April that goes from 10-to-80 percent in 3 minutes 44 seconds and 10-to-98 percent in 6 minutes 27 seconds.

Charging figures at a glance

• Geely: 2.2 MW peak, 10–70% in 4.5 min, 10–98% in 8:40, pack temp 55–65°C
• CATL (April): 10–80% in 3:44, 10–98% in 6:27
• BYD (March): 10–70% in 5 min, 10–97% in 9 min
• US fast chargers: Tesla Superchargers (non-newest) 250 kW/400V; Electrify America 350 kW; IONNA 400 kW; ChargePoint 600 kW

Why can't US chargers match these speeds?

Ars Technica reports that most US charging hardware tops out far below megawatt levels. Electrify America's stations max at 350 kW, IONNA's newest units are rated for 400 kW, and ChargePoint has a 600 kW unit on the market — all short of the 2.2 MW Geely's battery can accept. Vehicle hardware compounds the gap: Hyundai and Kia's 800V models, including the Ioniq 5 and EV6, cap around 240 kW even on a fast charger, and Porsche's Taycan accepts up to 320 kW of the 350 kW its charger can supply, per the report.

What would it take to close the gap?

Matching Geely's pace would require both megawatt-capable charging infrastructure and vehicles engineered to accept that input without overheating — the AI thermal management Geely describes is central to keeping cell temperatures near 65°C under 2-megawatt loads. No US automaker or charging network has announced hardware in that range, according to the sourced report.

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