New Model, New Charging Standard
“Ready in five 5, full in 9, cold add 3,” that’s the breakthrough that’s coming to Europe next month with the Denza Z9GT. This will be the first time that BYD’s Flash Charging makes an appearance. Charging will be almost as fast as fueling up with this technology – with the right charger, of course.
The new model is set to launch at Paris’ Palais Garnier opera house on April 8, 2026, and there’s more to it than just another premium electric vehicle (EV).
Denza
The Flagship: Denza Z9GT
The vehicle for introducing the new Flash Charging standard is the Denza Z9 GT, a five-door shooting brake Grand Tourer that rides on a bespoke Denza e3 platform. It comes with the Blade Battery 2.0 tech from BYD and has a 122 kWh capacity, which can go about 500 miles (800 kilometers) on a single charge in the rear-wheel-drive variant. The Z9 GT has 947 horsepower in the triple-motor version, and the brand claims it can go from 0-60mph in less than 3 seconds.
Its exterior is a marriage of BYD design and European influence, but as a premium brand, Denza comes with a few more luxury features. For starters, the French audio specialist, Devialet, lent its expertise to Denza to help create an “opera-house entertainment experience.” Dolby Atmos audio technology fills the cabin with pinpoint surround sound, ensuring that the content you watch is as immersive as can be.
News Flash!
However, I don’t think you’ll be consuming much content while you’re out there charging if you end up at a 1,500 kWh charger. On top of debuting an all-new model, Denza is also using the Z9GT to introduce one of the fastest charging standards in the world: Flash Charging.
Going back to the Flash Charging tagline, “Ready in Five, Full in Nine, Cold Add Three,” more specifically: charging from 10 to 70 percent will only take five minutes, charging from 10 to 97 percent will take nine minutes, and if conditions are as cold as -30°C, just add three minutes on top of a full charge (12 minutes).
For safety, the charging standard is designed to cut off at a 97 percent state of charge.
20 Minutes Is So Last Year
Charging speeds for EVs have shot through the roof as of late. Earlier this month, we reported that BYD was just testing its 1,500 kW Flash Charging standard, and to put things into perspective, that’s about three times faster than Tesla’s V4 Supercharger, which is capable of up to 500 kW in the Tesla Cybertruck.
Prior to this, DC fast-chargers could bring your car back up to “ready” in just 20 minutes. Now that number has shrunk to a measly five minutes, which is essentially half a YouTube video or a bit of scrolling through social media. In fact, that’s essentially about as fast as a standard fill-up at a gas station.
What Will Flash Charging Stations Look Like?
In China, BYD’s Flash Charging station shares a layout similar to traditional gasoline stations, using overhead plugs to connect to vehicles. BYD is looking to set up 4,000 self-operated Flash Charge stations in China, which will then rise to 15,000 when factoring in BYD’s partner locations and operators.
With the launch of the Denza Z9 GT, the brand will also roll out Flash Chargers in Europe. However, no further details have been shared, and it’s likely that we’ll find out more about this closer to or on the April 8, 2026, launch date.
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