Chinese electric car vendor BYD announced new battery technology that lets it charge HAN EV cars with 400 km of range in just 5 minutes.

A Chinese Tesla rival has unveiled a new electric vehicle battery that can add 250 miles of range in just five minutes. The revolutionary product could solve long charge-times - a major factor that puts people off purchasing electric vehicles.

Wang Chuanfu, the Shenzhen-based group’s billionaire founder, unveiled a new charging system that could add about 470km in range to BYD’s own batteries in just five minutes. The release of the so-called Super e-Platform has thrust BYD to the front of an industry-wide race to develop battery cells for electric vehicles that will make refuelling electric vehicles as fast as filling up cars with petrol or diesel.