It’s not all that surprising to read in 2026 that a new electric vehicle has a range of over 500 miles as car makers continue to do their bit to quash range anxiety.
But as great as having access to big mileage on a full battery is, you also don’t want to be stuck recharging an EV for ages when you’re taking on long journeys.
Which is why the ultra-rapid charging speeds arriving with latest generation of EVs are making it quicker and easier to get back on the road in minutes.
Charging times have come on leaps and bounds in recent months, with new technology and faster chargers making it possible to add hundreds of miles of juice to your EV’s battery in less than 15 minutes.
But which EVs can handle the fastest charging speeds? And where can you find chargers capable of topping them up this fast?
Here are the top 10 fast charging EVs currently on the market, and a quick guide to ultra-rapid charging options.
1. Denza Z9GT
Charging speed: 1,500kW
BYD’s Denza brand is making waves, mainly because its Z9GT can recharge in only five minutes on BYD’s 1,500kW Flash Chargers
Denza, the luxury, technology-led sub-brand of BYD, has just launched in the UK. And already its flagship model, the Z9GT shooting brake, has gone straight to the top of the charging league table.
It can charge to the eye-watering speeds of 1,500kW – almost three times the next fastest charging on this list.
This is part due to the car’s Blade Battery 2.0 and separately BYD’s Flash Charging network.
Together they can deliver 10 to 70 per cent charging in just five minutes and 10 to 97 per cent in nine minutes. It’s game changing.
2. XPeng G6
Charging speed: 451kW
The XPeng G6 can charge up to 451KW making it the second fastest charging EV in the UK. 10 to 80% charge happens in only 12 minutes
XPeng is an AI and smart technology car maker, and the G6 smart SUV is its first UK model.
Despite only arriving in February 2025, the G6 has been updated already and that update introduced even fast charging speeds of 451kW.
So, the new G6 SUV can claim 10 to 80 per cent charging in just 12 minutes, which is less time than most people stop at a service station. It puts the Chinese car maker on the map.
3. Lotus Emeya
Charging speed: 420kW
The Lotus Emeya has been found to ultra-rapid charge at speeds of 443kW on a 450kW and deliver 10 to 80% in just 13 minutes and 35 seconds
The Lotus Emeya fully electric hyper GT costs a pretty penny, starting from £84,990 but you get between 603hp and 905hp and extremely fast charging speeds for that price tag.
While the Emeya is billed at having max 420kW charging speeds, an independent test found that the Emeya could ultra-rapid charge at speeds of 443kW on a 450kW and deliver 10 to 80 per cent in just 13 minutes and 35 seconds.
So, it’s as capable as a fast-charging EV as it is as a performance GT.
4. BMW iX3
Charging speed: 400kW
The all-new 2026 BMW iX3 can charge up to 400kW and add 231 miles of range in 10 minutes
The new BMW iX3 has been garnering attention for its 500-mile range but its charging capabilities are equally impressive.
The all-new 2026 mid-size electric SUV is completely overhauled and with that overhaul comes DC charging of up to 400kW, offering a minimum charging time of 21 minutes for a 10 to 80 per cent top up. 231 miles of range can be added in 10 minutes.
This family SUV doesn’t just cut range anxiety, but it also cuts charging anxiety.
5. MG IM5 and MG IM6
Charging speed: 396kW
The IM5 and IM6 EVs can charge at 396kW speeds which delivers 10 to 80% charge in 17 minutes
IM – a tie-up between SAIC, e-commerce power player Alibaba and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech, a leading R&D specialist – is MG’s ‘technology showcase’ arm and stands for ‘Intelligence in Motion’.
It is only right then that the technology showcase side of MG demonstrates the Chinese-owned British heritage brand’s fast charging tech – and it does with its IM5 and IM6 models.
Both the saloon-inspired EV and the bigger SUV model can charge at 396kW speeds which delivers 10 to 80 per cent charge in 17 minutes.
7. Porsche Cayenne
Charging speed: 390kW
The new Porsche Cayenne Electric can charge to 390kW speeds and can recharge 10 to 80% in only 16 minutes
Porsche’s electric Cayenne SUV has been long awaited, and now it’s finally here – and it arrives with some very impressive charging speeds.
The luxury electric SUV, which costs at least £77,500, can charge to 390kW speeds and can recharge 10 to 80 per cent in only 16 minutes.
As the Cayenne has a range of 405 miles, this will give you a good chunk of extra range to get you to your end destination.
It is also the first mainstream electric car sold in Britain with wireless charging capabilities.
When we drove it at launch, it was the Cayenne Electric Turbo’s gobsmacking 1,140bhp and organ-rearranging acceleration that shocked us more than its recharging capabilities.
8. Volvo EX60
Charging speed: 370kW
Volvo’s new EX60 has an official range of more than 500 miles, can charge to 400kW and can also add 211 miles of charge in only 10 minutes
Volvo is on a bit of an EV run at the moment, and the EX60 is its latest electric offering.
Not only is the long-range, electric mid-size SUV able to drive 503 miles on a single charge – class-leading range – but it can also add 211 miles of charge in only 10 minutes.
Capable of charging on a 400kW charger, Volvo says the EX60 makes a charging stop nearly as fast as a fuel stop.
=9. Hyundai Ioniq 6/Lotus Eletre/Volvo ES90/Polestar 3
Charging speed: 350kW
Polestar has just upgraded its 3 SUV, so it can now charge 10 to 80% in as little as 22 minutes. It boasts charging speeds on par with three rivals
All four of these EVs can charge at 350kW speeds.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 mid-sized fastback saloon can add 215 miles of range in 20 minutes. It has a maximum range of 338 miles.
The Lotus Eletre can deliver 10 to 80 per cent in only 20 minutes and has a max range of 373 miles.
Volvo’s ES90 luxury electric saloon has a long-distance range of up to 435 miles. And crucially, it can charge 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes and add 186 miles of range in 10 minutes.
Polestar has just upgraded its 3 SUV, enabling significantly faster DC charging. The new, intelligent, adaptive battery software allows the Polestar 3 to charge 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 22 minutes.
A number of large EV charging providers are upgrading their networks to handle 400kW charging speeds, including Gridserve
So, where can you actually charge to these speeds?
There are a few charging providers that currently can offer the charging speed these EVs demand.
The first one is MGF EV Power.
The blue, white and green ultra-rapid chargers are mainly found at motorway services, roadside retail and supermarket car parks.
With over 1,000 ultra-rapid chargers across the UK, the majority of its sites have a mixture of 150kW, 300kW and 400kW charges.
The second, Gridserve, the UK’s most used EV charging network, has 400kW chargers on the Electric Highway which can add more than one hundred miles of range in less than 10 minutes.
Plans include 96 new high-power, 400kW-capable bays across seven new motorway Super Hubs installed by 2026.
Ionity is also currently upgrading its network and rolling out 400kW chargers across Europe and the UK.
But most importantly BYD, the Chinese car maker, is bringing 600 Flash Chargers to the UK, with the rollout happening this year.
The 1,500kW Flash Chargers can charge compatible EVs in as little as five minutes – the time it takes to refuel a petrol car – as we’ve already seen with its new Denza Z9GT model.