What Geely actually tested
The Chinese group used a Lynk & Co 01 with a 95 kWh battery. Although some reports called it a 900-volt system, CarNewsChina puts the nominal voltage at 772.8 volts, which sits in the 800-volt class. At a Zeekr fast-charging station, the car briefly reached 1,100 kW; at a BYD Flash Charging Station, it peaked at 430 kW.
The meaningful figure is the charging time. Going from 10 to 80 per cent took 5 minutes and 32 seconds, while 10 to 97 per cent took 8 minutes and 42 seconds. For a family stop, that is the difference between a rushed toilet break and a calm coffee pause.
Let’s do the family maths. Charging from 10 to 80 per cent of a 95 kWh battery means adding roughly 66.5 kWh. Spread over 5 minutes and 32 seconds, that works out at an average charging power of around 720 kW — far below the 1,100 kW peak. Still extraordinary, but it shows why peak numbers can mislead.
Where 1,000 volts fits in
Most current electric cars use 400-volt or 800-volt systems. Higher voltage lets a car deliver the same power with lower current, which reduces heat and allows thinner, lighter cabling. Geely says its next step is a 1,000-volt architecture covering the battery, electric motors, power electronics, chargers and wiring. Specific technical details have not been published yet.
The infrastructure is already appearing in China. Geely has installed more than 2,100 Zeekr charging points, each with a peak output of up to 1,500 kW. Current vehicles cannot use that power, but the new 1,000-volt architecture is intended to close the gap between cars and chargers.
Geely is not alone. BYD’s Super e-Platform already operates at 1,000 volts in production models such as the Han L EV and Tang L EV. BYD says the Han L can add around 400 km of CLTC range in five minutes. CATL is pushing in the same direction with its second-generation Shenxing battery, targeting up to 1.3 MW and 520 km of CLTC range in five minutes.
Why peak power is not the whole story
A charging stop is decided by the charging curve, not the maximum burst. Batteries and thermal management have to hold high power long enough to matter. Geely has not confirmed whether future production models will actually charge at 1.5 MW. A higher system voltage alone is not enough — the battery chemistry, cooling and charge curve all have to support it.
For families, the 10–80 per cent time is a more useful number than any peak figure. It tells you how long you wait before you can rejoin the motorway. If a car can add 66.5 kWh in around five and a half minutes, the stop shrinks to a quick break — but only where the charger can actually deliver that power.
What this means in Europe today
In much of Europe, chargers are still a long way from 1 MW. Many fast chargers remain in the 150–350 kW range. We currently list 483 high-power locations in our supercharger database — a useful reminder that what exists on the map matters as much as what a car can accept.
Chinese brands are moving into Europe, and charging is part of the pitch. BYD has talked about bringing its Flash Charging to Europe, with an expected price under 60 cents per kWh. At the same time, Europe’s EV shift is speeding up: in July, EVs took a quarter of the new-car market, with sales up 51% year-on-year, as we reported in our European sales update.
The practical takeaway is simple. A car that can charge in five minutes is only as useful as the station you can actually reach. Before a holiday, check our charging station map and run the numbers through the EV charging cost calculator. Fast charging is exciting, but planning still keeps a family road trip calm.
