US being left behind in EV charging speeds as China goes sub-5 min to 70%

China is rapidly pushing EV charging speeds toward gas-station parity, driven by OEM competition and tight integration of vehicles into users’ digital lives. Geely unveiled an LFP pack that can accept up to 2.2 MW, charging from 10-70% in 4.5 minutes and 10-98% in 8:40 while managing pack temps (average ~55°C, peak ~65°C) with AI-driven thermal control. Geely also uses AI “micro pulses” to reactivate lithium ions and claims a 20% life-extension effect; the pack has been tested in Zeekr and Lynk & Co cars. Those figures outpace BYD’s recent 10-70% in about 5 minutes and sit alongside CATL’s even quicker LFP claims (10-80% in 3:44, 10-98% in 6:27), showing Chinese suppliers racing to make very-fast charging practical.

The United States, by contrast, remains constrained by lower-power public chargers and vehicle acceptance limits. Most high-power chargers here top out at 250-400 kW (with a few 600 kW units), while many popular 800 V cars actually cap at ~240 kW and models like the Taycan accept ~320 kW; a new wave of 400 kW-capable cars is only now arriving. Megawatt charging in the US is largely for buses and trucks, though ChargePoint points to architectures that can combine units to deliver megawatts and to an MCS connector roadmap needed to handle such power. Without wider infrastructure, vehicle hardware, and compatible connectors, the US risks lagging as China normalizes sub-five-minute charging and even robotic automated charging.