Chery Unveils 1.44MW Charger Capable of Adding 311 Miles in 5 Minutes
The new system charges from 10-97% in under 7 minutes, placing it second only to CATL in speed rankings.
Chery has announced a 1.44 megawatt charging system capable of delivering 500 kilometers (311 miles) of range in just five minutes, intensifying the competition among Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers to dominate ultra-fast charging technology.
What Happened
According to reports from CarNewsChina, Chery’s new “Volt-Dragon” battery system can charge from 10% to 97% state of charge in six minutes and 50 seconds. This performance places it as the second-fastest system in China, trailing only CATL, which holds the record with a time of six minutes and 27 seconds. Competitors such as FAW, Geely, and BYD are reported to take between eight and nine minutes to achieve the same full charge metric. Chery also introduced an “AI-Powered” feature called CheryMind, which adjusts charging power based on internal battery temperature changes to maintain optimal speeds and battery health. While the company did not release data for extreme weather conditions during the announcement, it stated that the system could still deliver 500km of range in eight minutes in “conservative scenarios.”
Why It Matters
This development highlights the rapid pace of innovation in China’s EV infrastructure, where manufacturers are now competing over seconds rather than minutes. The deployment of megawatt-level chargers addresses the need for high-throughput DC charging locations, particularly in urban areas where many residents lack consistent home parking for charging. In contrast, the fastest public chargers currently available in the US operate at around 400kW, with 750kW systems potentially arriving next year. While current US speeds are sufficient for most road trips, the higher speeds seen in China could significantly alleviate pressure on public charging networks by reducing dwell times. Chery has begun installing these chargers, with plans to open 100 units in 10 Chinese cities soon. The company targets 20,000 stations worldwide by 2029, a timeline that is slower than BYD’s goal of installing 20,000 chargers by the end of this year.
The Bottom Line
Chery’s 1.44MW charger enters a crowded field of high-speed Chinese competitors, offering 311 miles of range in five minutes and ranking second in full-charge speed behind CATL. With only 100 chargers initially planned for ten cities, the immediate impact on the broader market remains limited compared to BYD’s aggressive current deployment.
