Ultra-fast charging capabilities in China that promise refueling times of just five to 10 minutes are advancing at lightning speed, with a fierce race now under way among electric vehicle (EV) players — both for faster charging units and vehicles capable of using them. BYD arguably kicked off the race when it announced last month an ambitious plan to deploy 15,000 megawatt level charging stations across China by the end of this year. This initiative involves strategic collaboration with Xiaoju Charging (Didi Chuxing) and LongShine, two key independent players in China’s charging infrastructure build-out. Xiaoju plans to install 10,000 fast chargers, while LongShine will deploy 5,000 of these, which come in addition to BYD’s separate plans to build more than 4,000 ultra-fast charging piles nationwide through partnerships with energy companies such as Sinopec.