Fast food, faster charging? BYD and KFC China collaborate to offer 9-minute refueling stations

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD announced a strategic partnership with KFC China on Wednesday to develop a nationwide network of integrated drive-thru stations, aiming to combine fast food service with ultra-rapid EV charging in under ten minutes. The collaboration, detailed in a post on BYD's official WeChat account, will see the automaker work with Yum China Holdings to create "nine-minute" drive-thrus across mainland China, allowing drivers to charge their vehicles while ordering meals from KFC outlets. The initiative directly addresses what BYD describes as the lingering pain point of on-the-go charging efficiency for EV owners. The "nine-minute" branding references the fast-charging capability of BYD's second-generation Blade battery, which the company unveiled in March and advertises as achieving a 97% charge in that time. As part of the integration, BYD launched a new "smart ordering function" that enables drivers to place KFC orders directly from their vehicle's onboard interface and displays the locations of these combined drive-thrus along their planned route. This system will be progressively rolled out across BYD's passenger EV lineup, starting with the Fangchengbao Ti7 SUV. The partnership emerges against a backdrop of shifting dynamics in China's EV market. BYD, while remaining the country's leading manufacturer with over 367,000 domestic sales in the first quarter, has recently faced a reversal in its stellar sales growth. This aligns with a broader sector slump attributed to market oversupply and the rollback of government subsidies for new energy vehicles starting in 2026. The company reported its first annual profit decline since 2021, with its Hong Kong-listed shares trading approximately 20% lower than a year ago. The collaboration with a ubiquitous consumer brand like KFC represents a novel strategy to enhance customer convenience and stimulate demand. For KFC China, the alliance taps into the deeply ingrained fast-food culture in Chinese urban life, driven by long working hours, dense populations, and the prevalence of delivery platforms. With nearly 13,000 outlets across 2,500 cities as of December 2025, KFC is China's leading fast-food chain, having reported a 5% year-on-year sales growth and an 8% rise in operating profit for 2025. The partnership leverages BYD's extensive charging infrastructure ambitions—the company announced the completion of its 5,000th flash charging station in March and plans to build 20,000 by year's end—to create a new, efficient service model at the intersection of mobility, energy, and dining.