The global debut of the BYD Atto 8 flagship was everything you'd expect: a brutal kick in the teeth for sluggish western automakers. The three-row all-electric SUV introduced a new game-changing level of fast-recharging.

Dubbed 'Flash Charging,' this allows the Atto 8's massive 115-kilowatt-hour battery to rocket from a 10% charge up to 70% capacity in an almost unbelievable five minutes. A nearly complete fill-up from 10% to 97% takes just nine minutes.

For an industry trying to persuade gas-loving American buyers to ditch combustion, matching the time it takes to fill a traditional tank is a massive psychological milestone. BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li hailed the breakthrough during the Paris reveal, noting that "Flash Charging is the breakthrough for EVs that everyone has been waiting for."