Chinese EV giant BYD has announced plans to build a large ultra‑fast charging network in Romania as part of a wider push into Central and Eastern Europe. The company’s executive vice‑president, Stella Li, outlined the programme during her first visit to Bucharest, saying BYD will start with a small pilot and scale rapidly thereafter.
What BYD announced
BYD told reporters it plans an initial deployment of 10–20 “flash charging” stations in Romania so customers can test the technology, and that the wider ambition is to install at least 100–200 stations over the next two to three years.
The company described its flash chargers as very high‑power units (about 1.5 megawatts each) capable, on BYD’s figures, of charging a compatible battery from 10% to 97% in about nine minutes. BYD also said each installation would include an on‑site battery storage system to smooth loads and avoid adding stress to the grid. BYD told journalists it will fund the roll‑out from its own resources and estimated equipment plus installation costs at roughly $400,000–$500,000 per station.
Context: production and strategy in the region
Li used the visit to stress that BYD’s European strategy combines local manufacturing and supporting infrastructure: the Szeged, Hungary assembly plant will start series production in November 2026, supplying models such as the Atto 2 and Dolphin Surf, while Romania could host supplier partnerships and charging infrastructure rather than initial vehicle production.
