China's energy and auto giant BYD has announced a super fast EV charging system that it says is nearly as quick as a fill up at the pumps.

China's BYD has unveiled a megawatt charging system that it says can charge an EV as quickly as filling up a fuel tank, and said it will build a network across China, igniting a new super charging race.

New energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer BYD has launched new "super e-platform", which it claims can deliver peak charging speeds of up to 1 megawatt (MW) . BYD founder Wang Chuanfu was cited by Reuters as saying that in a livestream from the company's Shenzhen headquarters that the platform enables compatible vehicles to gain enough power for a 400km (249 miles) journey after just a five-minute charge.