The fast charging competition between CATL and BYD

Both CATL and BYD have made announcements renewing their commitment to fast charging this year, pushing faster, ultra-high charging speeds up to 15C even as existing technologies have approached the refuelling time of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Competition between the two firms on charging speed, highlighted again at CATL’s 2026 Tech Day event last month, comes as progress on energy density has slowed for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.