Over 30% of UK EV drivers expect five-minute charging by 2035
More than a third of EV drivers (34%) expect five-minute public EV charging to become a standard part of electric vehicle ownership by 2035, reports a new research paper from BYD.
Titled ‘The Cars of 2035: What UK Drivers Really Want‘, the Chinese automotive giant asked 2,000 UK motorists their wants and expectations from cars launched within the next decade. Its biggest finding was that 49% of respondents are looking for their vehicles to take a software-defined, intelligent approach to driving.
Of those asked, 49% expect their cars to predict maintenance issues before a fault occurs, 47% want cars to spot obstacles and hazards further in advance, and 35% expect special turning features to escape tight parking spots.
Ultra-fast, five-minute charging ranked fourth, with 34% of those asked ranking it as a demand. This is especially pertinent, as BYD recently announced it will begin rolling out its Flash public charging network across the UK alongside its premium Denza brand later this month.
Over the course of the next year, BYD will install 600 Flash chargers (pictured above) nationwide, returning charging speeds of up to 1,500kW – 1,250 more than the Tesla Supercharger network, and 1,150kW more than the ultra-rapid Ionity and Fastned networks.
More than 50% of EV and PHEV owners (54% and 54% respectively) believe that BYD’s Flash chargers will make five-minute charging times a reality.
“More than half of EV and PHEV owners believe that five-minute charging will become a standard feature in everyday cars by 2035,” commented BYD UK chief, Steve Beattie. “Our Flash charging tech makes that possible, charging BYD’s latest Blade Battery 2.0 from 10-70% in that timeframe.”
Lower down the list, 30% of respondents said they want cars that can automatically find and pay for parking; 14% hope for cars that can dodge potholes for a smoother ride, and 13% expect flood-proof vehicles.
Again, Beattie pointed to BYD’s other luxury Yangwang brand, whose all-electric U9 hypercar can jump over potholes. Moreover, the Yangwang U8 has an ‘Emergency Water Floating mode’ that allows the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV to float on water for up to 30 minutes.
“The line between science fiction and everyday driving is getting thinner,” he added. “Drivers want intelligent vehicles that make their lives easier, and future car technology should reduce stress and even become more than just ‘nice-to-haves’.
“Our research shows that common desires from the public expectations, like pothole-avoiding cars, and even seemingly far-fetched features like amphibious capabilities, are not as far off as you might think. Models from BYD’s luxury brand, YANGWANG, have already demonstrated these innovations in the real world.”
