How fast, exactly?
Let’s look at the BYD Atto 8’s battery first, because it’s a whopper — a 115kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery that’s good for an official WLTP range of up to 653km. That’s in the standard Design model, which comes with a 462hprear-mounted electric motor, with 365Nm of torque. You might think that would be enough, but there’s also an Excellence version with two motors, a ridiculous 775hp (and 775Nm of torque) and a 0-100km/h time of just 4.6 seconds. That one has a slightly lower official range of 603km.
So it’s fast, but that’s not the charging, is it?
No, we’re getting to that. The Atto 8 is the first BYD model coming to Europe that’s compatible with BYD’s ‘Flash’ ultra-fast charging setup. That means you need to use one of BYD’s own-brand chargers, which use a combination of on-site battery storage and high-power grid connections to deliver as much as 1,500kW (1.5MW) of charging power.
Crikey!
Well, quite. At that kind of power, the Atto 8’s big battery can be charged from 10 to 70 per cent in just five minutes, or from 10 to 97 per cent in only nine minutes. Even in seriously cold weather, at temperatures as low as -30°C, that 10 to 97 per cent charge takes only a claimed 12 minutes. BYD’s new charging mantra is: ‘Ready in five, full in nine, cold add three.’
Where do I sign up?
Hold your horses, because all this is based on BYD’s claims for now. BYD says that it’s rolling out its Flash chargers across Europe, and the first one opened in Germany this summer, but only a handful of the 3,000 promised stations are connected so far, and none are available in Ireland yet.
Darn it!
Yup, we’re on the cusp of ultra-fast charging being a thing, but we’re not quite there yet.
Can the battery take it?
Apparently so. BYD tested the Flash charging system in one of its big Yangwang U9 luxury cars, driving it for 30,000km in just nine days at a test track and charging it 350 times along the way. After that, it still had 98.7 per cent of its original battery capacity left.
What else do we know about the BYD Atto 8?
The Atto 8 gets a high-tech cabin with the expected big screens, minimalist layout and, in the car at the Paris show at any rate, bright orange genuine leather trim. There’s a massive 2.39m² glass roof, while the front seats feature heating, ventilation and massage functions. This is replicated in the outer seats of the middle row. There’s tri-zone climate control and an optional 21-speaker ‘DiSound’ stereo. If you need to charge your devices on the go, there are dual 50W wireless smartphone charging pads and dual 60W USB Type-C ports up front, plus a pair of additional USB Type-C ports (one rated at 18W and the other at 60W) in the rear.
How practical is the BYD Atto 8?
Very. Aside from the expected flexibility of the seven-seat layout, there’s a boot with 270 litres of capacity when all seven seats are in use. This expands to 1,960 litres with the middle and rear rows folded, and there’s a 136-litre ‘frunk’ storage area in the nose.
When can I buy the BYD Atto 8?
The BYD Atto 8 is due to arrive in Europe in the first quarter of 2027, although, as we say, you’ll be waiting a while yet for the Flash chargers to make their way to Ireland. BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li said: “As a technology company, BYD is all about turning intelligence into reality – and the Atto 8 is the perfect example of this. It blends our latest powertrain and second-generation ‘Blade Battery’ to offer more than 600km of range, seven-seat flexibility and our latest innovations in cabin technology. And Flash Charging is the breakthrough for EVs that everyone has been waiting for – recharging as fast as refuelling, removing range anxiety. With this model, we’re really demonstrating how our investment in R&D isn’t just focused on coming up with fresh ideas; we’re putting these improvements into the hands of customers around the world, to improve their lives.”
What else is BYD doing at the Paris Motor Show?
BYD is also showing off its new Shark pickup truck, which comes with plug-in hybrid power and which BYD says promises diesel-like economy with plug-in hybrid versatility, and the ability to run for almost 90km on electric power alone. The Shark’s 436hp comes from two electric motors, which power the front and rear axles and are themselves powered by a 32.2kWh Blade battery that’s kept charged on the go by a 1.5-litre petrol engine. The Shark is pretty fleet for a pickup — the official 0-100km/h time is just 5.7 seconds. It’ll fast-charge too, with up to 55kW on DC available. It also has vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, so you can plug electrical devices — including heavy-duty power tools — into the Shark’s battery, with up to 6kW available.
There’s also a European debut for a five-seat version of the four-seat Dolphin Surf city car, which also gets some new options, including a heated steering wheel and new paint colours.
Read our 2025 BYD Dolphin Surf review.
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