China’s 2,250kW chargers are already in service, while US thinks about 750kW next year

China is pulling far ahead in EV charging speed. Geely just put 2.2 megawatt chargers into service in five Chinese cities, a week after announcing them, with plans for 15,000 of these charging sites by the end of next year. That power is split across two charging heads, so no single car draws the full amount, but two vehicles can each get more than a megawatt at once, enough to charge in under five minutes. This follows BYD, which rolled out 10,000 of its own 1.5 megawatt chargers over just five months earlier this year.

In the US, the picture is much slower. EVgo says it will bring 750 kilowatt charging here, but not until sometime in 2027, a delay from the original 2026 target. That speed would still take about ten minutes to charge a car, and right now only one US model, an upcoming Mercedes AMG GT, can even accept that much power. Tesla's fastest Superchargers top out at 500 kilowatts, and most of its network is still capped at 350 kilowatts or lower.

None of this changes what's available at your local charging station today, since even 350-400 kilowatt chargers remain uncommon in the US. But it's a sign of how far apart charging speeds are between countries, and it may help explain why very fast charging is not something typical American drivers can expect at public stations anytime soon. For most homeowners, charging speed at home already depends more on your own electrical panel and charger setup than on these high-power public systems.