How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps • Hacker News Board

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#271

Post by giwook » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 1:30 AM UTC

lossolo wrote: post #204

giwook wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't say I'm as knowledgeable of Chinese history as you seem to be, so I appreciate the information. And I may have used less than accurate phrasing when I said that I thought Chinese people are likely unhappy to be in a repressed state. Perhaps my comment should have been more specific about the fact I was referring to not having any freedom of speech when it comes to criticizing the government. But as a thought…

You've shifted the argument. "China restricts freedom of speech, especially criticism of the government" is true. But that is not the same claim as "most Chinese people are unhappy, living with their heads down in fear of being disappeared". China is authoritarian and heavily censors speech but broad support for the system can still exist in an illiberal state, especially when people feel their lives have improved ma…

Okay.

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#272

Post by ikr678 » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 2:06 AM UTC

RevEng wrote: post #254

ikr678 wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In remote areas, sudden load from fast chargers can cause a bit of trouble with the rest of the local grid. It may be that those rest stops can't yet support a fast charger without upgrading their transformers.

That's not nearly the problem that people think it is. Industrial and farm operations often use that much. Upgrading is the problem though. Many of these stations were installed when 50kW was normal. With no other competition nearby there is no incentive to replace everything. It would mean new transformers and potentially even new lines.

We maybe have different definitions of remote. I was referring to truckstops where there is no transmission/hv in and local microgrid generation only- these sites might be on highways that are common tourist drives but unable to support superchargers.

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#273

Post by NoPicklez » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 4:55 AM UTC

DroneBetter wrote: post #228

KolmogorovComp wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 99.9% of use cases of EVs can charge at home/work/shop This is yet again a very US-centric view where you assume people are living in house with a garage.

"home" can be substituted for "place where car resides when owner is at home" without meaningfully changing the point

Well no it does change the point, because the place where the car resides when the owner is at home is less likely to be near a power socket unless its in a garage or the homes driveway. I can't realistically charge my EV from a socket if its on the street.

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#274

Post by NoPicklez » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 4:57 AM UTC

PearlRiver wrote: post #166

mbfg wrote: post #3

More importantly, the US has banned these cars in America to give protection to american manufacturers.

The Chinese were smart enough to ban US companies only when their own people could match.

Except Tesla's where their cars outsold any other

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#275

Post by NoPicklez » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 5:00 AM UTC

est wrote: post #189

tim333 wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also I guess they could put a large battery at the charging station so it can take say a steady 200kw from the grid and be able to kick out 1500kw for ten minutes occasionally. That could also charge from cheap off peak electricity.

> guess they could put a large battery at the charging station BYD's megawatt charging does exactly that. Tbe best part, the "large battery" uses the same battary on BYD cars. The same electric components, cooling system, etc.

Exactly what Tesla's megapack superchargers do

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#276

Post by NoPicklez » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 5:00 AM UTC

tim333 wrote: post #80

orbital-decay wrote: post #63

>Just taking an existing fast charger with 150- or 350-kW capacity and swapping in the latest and greatest 1,500-kW chargers wouldn’t get anyone faster speeds. The system would need all new “pipes”—grid capacity—to actually move that much current. The grid doesn't necessarily mean "pipes" or power lines. You don't build a pipeline to every gas station. Mobile charging robots work pretty well in China.

Also I guess they could put a large battery at the charging station so it can take say a steady 200kw from the grid and be able to kick out 1500kw for ten minutes occasionally. That could also charge from cheap off peak electricity.

Exactly what Tesla's megapack superchargers do

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#277

Post by b112 » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 9:16 AM UTC

dotancohen wrote: post #267

b112 wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You actually can breath in "large cities", unless you have a pre-existing health condition. Otherwise, all the people in those "large cities" would already be dead, and they'd cease being "large cities". Or at least, populated ones. "Carbon emissions" is a human rights issue, just as 1000 other things are. Whether "reducing" carbon emissions is determined to be a right is not black and white as of yet. Regardless, le…

I may have exaggerated. In large cities the air is significantly less comfortable to breathe. > because you own an electric car, it's now a human rights issue that you get to pay less. Right? No, why would you think that? It is only fair that electric car users, myself included, pay for the proportional damage and wear to the roads. Now tell me why the polluting carbon-burning vehicles don't have a separate tax to re…

You responded to this:

Paying the fair share for road maintenance isn't a human rights issue.

by saying this:

Reducing carbon emissions most certainly is a human rights issue.

Which was is in a thread where someone complained about paying tax, and "human rights".

So yes, naturally, I would think that is your intent.

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#278

Post by b112 » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 9:19 AM UTC

RevEng wrote: post #258

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like the more accurate framing, then, is "I'm not getting a tax break for having an EV". Which is disappointing sure, but not outrageous either.

That's the framing but it's also misleading. We are being charged more than a typical ICE driver would pay in gasoline tax. It's also listed as being for road maintenance, but in fact it goes into the general revenue, so it has nothing to do with road maintenance.

The first part is untrue:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47475419

The second is not necessarily true.

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#279

Post by refurb » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 10:28 AM UTC

archagon wrote: post #265

refurb wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

During the Cold War would have imported cars from the USSR if they were better Do we want to strength economically an authoritarian country who is opposed to Western aims across the world? Of course not. That would be shooting ourselves in the foot.

I just want the better product, period.

Urge but sometime national concerns override individual wishes.

Re: How BYD got EV chargers to work almost as fast as gas pumps

#280

Post by Kirby64 » Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 4:11 PM UTC

sgt wrote: post #211

Kirby64 wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was also $50k for a car that only got 120-150mi of range. It was a joke car. The reason it didn’t sell well is because it was a compliance car, not because it didn’t innovative. If it had a reasonable range (say, Chevy Bolt 200-250ish) in all electric for the same price, I bet it would have sold much much better.

I have an i3 though and the range is perfect for my use. Town, school, office etc. I just put it on charge when I get back, or the next day.

Sure, it’s useful for that, but its absolutely a horrendous deal compared to other EVs on the market at the same time. Anyone buying one for MSRP either loves BMW way too much or just was not aware of the market at the time.

A Chevy bolt, albeit not as nice inside, had nearly twice the range and cost half as much.

If you get one second hand for cheap, sure why not.