- The ten minute charging milestone is here. Rapid leads in 800V and 900V EV architectures now mean that some of the fastest charging electric cars in 2026 can add hundreds of miles worth of range in under ten minutes.
- With EVs from brands such as BYD and Lotus leading the fast charging pack, the time it takes to charge up can now be compared to the time taken to fill up a traditional combustion engine car.
- These are the best fast charging electric cars on the market in 2026.
EV charging speeds rise in 2026
In previous years, only drivers of much more expensive EVs were able to take full advantage of the maximum speeds of ultra-rapid charging infrastructure, such as the 400kW units offered by charge point providers like Fastned and IONITY. In 2026, it still remains the case that a significant proportion of the fastest charging EVs are expensive models, but the tide is starting to change, with more affordable models from brands such as BYD and MG now offering such speeds in their more affordable models. It’ll still be at least a few more years until we see these sort of speeds in the cheapest electric cars on the market, however.
MG IM5
A new addition to our list in 2026, the MG IM5 offers one of the best price-to-charging-speed ratio of any EV on the market. When specified with a 100kW battery option, the IM5 utilises an 800-volt architecture, allowing a peak charging speed 396kW. And the best part? This 400kW charging EV can be yours for just £44,995 (equivalent to $60,300 USD).
With a growing number of 400kW chargers appearing on public charging networks across the globe, the MG IM5 feels like the perfect choice to take full advantage of public charging speeds in 2026.
Lotus Emeya
The Lotus Emeya is one of the fastest charging electric cars on the market. Officially, Lotus claims a maximum charging speed for the Emeya of 420kW – which by itself is already impressive. However, last year, the Lotus Emeya was tested out at a 450kW EV charger at a Lotus dealer in Kuwait, reaching a maximum charging speed of 443kW.
The fact that this record was achieved in Kuwait, under hot temperatures, proves that ultra-rapid charging can remain reliable even in extreme weather conditions. At this rate, the Emeya could go from a 10% to 80% state of charge in only 13 minutes and 35 seconds.
BYD Han L
BYD unveiled its Flash Charging technology last year. As BYD’s Director of EV Charging, Diego Pareschi recently wrote in his ElectricDrives guest article, this technology has the potential to revolutionise the public charging industry, offering charging speeds north of 1,000kW.
Currently, just two BYD EVs are built on the ‘Super e-Platform’ which supports flash charging. The BYD Han L is one of these models, offering charging speeds above 1,000kW which can add nearly 250 miles of range in just five minutes.
So far, these two models are only offered in China. But, with BYD set to bring these chargers to regions such as Europe, it’s clear that 1,000kW charging EVs will also follow to these markets.
Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan
The Audi and Porsche EV duo (which run on much of the same components underneath) have long been some of the fastest charging electric cars on the market, and that remains the case in 2026. Both cars offer a maximum charging speed of 320kW, enough to boost battery state of charge from 10% to 80% in around 18 minutes.
However, with cars like the MG IM5 already beating this charging speed for significantly less money, how much longer will these two cars remain on our list?
