EV Charging Guide
BYD AC Charging: Why Your Car Shows Less Than 11 kW
Updated March 2026
You plug your BYD into a wallbox or public AC charger and the screen shows 6 kW. Or 9.8 kW. Not the 11 kW you expected. Every BYD passenger car sold in Europe has an 11 kW three-phase on-board charger. There is no 7 kW variant. The number on your display is lower because of how your electricity supply works and how BYD reports charging power. Here is what is actually happening.
Charging speeds and times shown here are approximate. Actual performance varies by model year, software version, ambient temperature, and grid conditions. Always follow your vehicle's manual and the instructions on the charger display. EVcourse is not affiliated with BYD or any vehicle manufacturer.
Quick Answer
All BYD Europe models (Atto 3, Seal, Seal U, Dolphin, Tang) charge at up to 11 kW AC on three-phase power. If your display shows less, it is either because you are on a single-phase supply (common in the UK and older European buildings) or because BYD shows battery-side power after conversion losses, which is always roughly 10% lower than what the charger delivers.
What Your BYD Display Actually Shows
BYD displays battery-side power, not wall-side power. This is the energy actually entering the battery cells after the on-board charger converts AC to DC. That conversion is not perfectly efficient.
Roughly 8 to 12% of the power from the wall is lost as heat during this conversion. So when your wallbox delivers 7 kW, the BYD display shows approximately 6 to 6.3 kW. When a 22 kW public charger delivers 11 kW (the car's maximum), the display shows approximately 9.6 to 9.9 kW.
This is not a fault. It is how BYD chooses to display the number. Some other manufacturers show wall-side power instead, which looks higher but does not mean the battery charges faster. The energy reaching the battery is the same either way.
- → 7 kW wallbox (single-phase): Display shows approximately 6 to 6.3 kW. Normal.
- → 11 kW wallbox (three-phase): Display shows approximately 9.6 to 10 kW. Normal.
- → 22 kW public charger: Display shows approximately 9.6 to 9.9 kW. The car limits to 11 kW wall-side, then shows battery-side. Normal.
Why You Only Get 7 kW at Home in the UK
The BYD's 11 kW on-board charger needs three-phase electricity to reach full speed. Most UK homes, and many older buildings across Europe, have single-phase power only.
On a single-phase supply, only one of the on-board charger's three phases is active. A typical UK home wallbox on a 32A single-phase supply delivers approximately 7.4 kW. That is the maximum the grid connection allows, regardless of what the car can accept.
This is not a BYD limitation. Every electric car with an 11 kW or 22 kW three-phase on-board charger behaves the same way on single-phase power. A Volkswagen ID.4 with an 11 kW charger, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 with an 11 kW charger: same result on single-phase.
To get the full 11 kW at home, you need a three-phase electricity supply and a three-phase wallbox. In many European countries (Germany, Netherlands, Nordics), three-phase is standard in homes. In the UK, it requires an upgrade from your electricity provider.
Why 22 kW Public Chargers Do Not Charge Your BYD Faster
The bottleneck is the on-board charger inside the car, not the charger on the wall. BYD Europe models have an 11 kW on-board charger. A 22 kW public AC charger can deliver 22 kW, but the car will only draw up to approximately 11 kW.
The on-board charger is the component that converts AC from the grid into DC for the battery. It has a fixed maximum capacity. When you plug into a 22 kW charger, the car communicates its limit and the charger delivers only what the car requests.
For faster charging, use a DC fast charger (CCS2 connector). DC chargers bypass the on-board charger entirely. The BYD Seal, for example, supports DC fast charging at up to approximately 150 kW, which is dramatically faster than any AC option.
Approximate AC Charging Times for BYD Models
These times are estimates for a full charge from empty. In practice, you rarely charge from 0% to 100%. Times vary with temperature, battery condition, and grid stability.
| Model | Battery (approximate) | ~7 kW single-phase | ~11 kW three-phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYD Dolphin | ~60 kWh | ~9 hours | ~6 hours |
| BYD Atto 3 | ~60 kWh | ~9 hours | ~6 hours |
| BYD Seal | ~82 kWh | ~12 hours | ~8 hours |
| BYD Seal U | ~87 kWh | ~13 hours | ~8.5 hours |
| BYD Tang | ~108 kWh | ~16 hours | ~10.5 hours |
Times are rough estimates based on usable battery capacity divided by charging power, with conversion losses factored in. Check your vehicle's manual for exact specifications.
Confused by the Charger Screen? Scan It.
If your BYD is plugged into a public charger and the display shows numbers or messages you do not understand, point your phone at the screen with the EVcourse app. It reads the display, translates foreign languages, and explains what the numbers mean. Personalized to your car model.
The charger screen often shows wall-side power while your car shows battery-side power. Comparing both helps confirm everything is working as expected. Free on iOS. Android coming soon.
Managing a team of drivers?
When your team calls about slow AC charging, you need the answer fast. Use the EVcourse app to scan charger screen photos and explain what the numbers mean. Free on iOS. Android coming soon.
From Finn, engineer: The "my BYD only charges at 7 kW" question comes up constantly in forums and owner groups. Almost every time, the answer is single-phase power at home or misreading battery-side power on the display. BYD's 11 kW three-phase on-board charger is standard across their European lineup. The confusion is understandable, because some other manufacturers do sell 7 kW single-phase variants. BYD does not.
EVcourse app provides instant troubleshooting and expert explanations at the charger. Scan any station or car screen for step-by-step help, free to start on iOS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all BYD models in Europe have 11 kW AC charging?
Yes. All BYD passenger cars sold in Europe, including the Atto 3, Seal, Seal U, Dolphin, and Tang, have an 11 kW three-phase on-board charger. There is no 7 kW variant for the European market. If your car charges at less than 11 kW, the limitation comes from your electricity supply or the charger, not the car.
Why does my BYD show 6 kW instead of 7 kW when charging at home?
BYD displays battery-side power, which is the energy actually reaching the battery after conversion losses. On a 7 kW single-phase supply, approximately 10% is lost as heat during AC-to-DC conversion inside the car. So the display shows roughly 6 to 6.3 kW even though the wallbox is delivering 7 kW. This is normal and not a fault.
Can a BYD charge at 22 kW on a public AC charger?
No. BYD Europe models have an 11 kW on-board charger, which is the bottleneck. Plugging into a 22 kW public charger will only draw up to approximately 11 kW. The charger supplies what the car requests, and the car will not request more than its on-board charger can handle. The display will typically show approximately 9.6 to 9.9 kW (battery-side power after conversion losses).
Why does my BYD only charge at 7 kW in the UK?
Most UK homes have a single-phase electricity supply, which limits a home wallbox to approximately 7.4 kW. The BYD's 11 kW on-board charger needs three-phase power to reach full speed. On single-phase, the car can only use one of its three phases, limiting AC charging to roughly 3.6 kW (single-phase 16A) or 7.4 kW (single-phase 32A) depending on your wallbox and supply.
How long does it take to AC charge a BYD from empty to full?
It depends on the model and power supply. For example, a BYD Seal with a roughly 82 kWh battery takes approximately 12 hours on a 7 kW single-phase supply and approximately 8 hours on an 11 kW three-phase supply. Smaller battery models like the Dolphin charge faster. These are estimates. Actual times vary with temperature, state of charge, and grid conditions.
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