BYD unveiled the Atto 8 at the Paris Motor Show, a seven-seat electric SUV that can charge its battery from 10% to 97% in about nine minutes. That figure comes from BYD’s own test conditions and needs a compatible charger, but it shows how far the brand wants to push fast charging.
What BYD showed in Paris
The Atto 8 is BYD’s new flagship in Europe, taking over from the Tang. It measures 5.04 meters (about 16.5 feet) long, 2.00 m wide and 1.76 m tall. The battery holds 115 kWh and uses the second generation of BYD’s Blade Battery.
There are two versions:
| Design | Excellence | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | Rear-wheel | All-wheel |
| Power | 340 kW | 570 kW |
| Torque | 365 Nm | 775 Nm |
| 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) | 8.0 s | 4.6 s |
| Range (WLTP) | up to 406 miles | up to 374 miles |
The Excellence adds a second motor on the front axle, which explains the quicker acceleration and slightly shorter range. WLTP is the European test cycle.
How Flash Charging works
The Atto 8 is the first BYD in Europe with Flash Charging, the company’s ultra-fast charging system. According to Electrive, the battery goes from 10% to 97% in roughly nine minutes under BYD’s stated conditions. InsideEVs reports 10% to 70% takes five minutes. BYD says that even at -30 °C (-22 °F), charging time grows by only about three minutes.
The catch is infrastructure. Flash Charging needs a compatible station. BYD expects 3,000 Flash Chargers in Europe by the end of 2027, with 300 of them in Germany by the end of 2026. On an ordinary fast charger, the car won’t hit those times.
BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li put the company’s bet this way: “FLASH Charging is the breakthrough for EVs that everyone has been waiting for.”
Inside the SUV
The Atto 8 leans into big-SUV comfort. The panoramic glass roof covers about 2.4 square meters. Front and second-row seats are heated, ventilated and have massage. The climate control has three zones, with separate controls for rear passengers.
The tech list includes:
- a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster;
- a 26-inch head-up display;
- a 15.6-inch center touchscreen with Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play Store built in;
- two 50 W wireless charging pads up front;
- four USB-C ports, two 60 W in front and, in the back, one 18 W and one 60 W.
Cargo space is 270 liters behind the third row and 1,960 liters with the rear seats folded. There is also a 136-liter front trunk under the hood.
Price and availability
BYD hasn’t announced pricing. The European launch is set for the first quarter of 2027. For context, the Tang is currently discounted from €75,000 to €47,990, and Electrive expects the Atto 8 to start no lower than €75,000.
If you’re still weighing an EV, our guide on whether electric cars are worth it covers what to check before you buy. For another long-range option, see the BMW iX4 and its 428-mile range.
What to watch next
Charging times are manufacturer claims made under specific conditions. What decides whether the Atto 8 changes daily life is the charger network and the final price. If the 3,000 European stations arrive on schedule, waiting for a charge stops being the main argument against EVs on long trips.
