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

Electric vehicle giant BYD announced Wednesday that it was partnering with KFC to offer its EV users in China a one-stop feeding and fueling experience — in under 10 minutes.

In a post on its official WeChat account, BYD said it was working with Yum China Holdings — the fast-food conglomerate which owns the KFC brand in China — to develop a network of "nine-minute" drive-thrus across the country, which would allow EV drivers to stop for meals at KFC outlets while charging their cars.

The "nine-minute" branding alludes to the fast charging capabilities of BYD's second-generation Blade battery, which the company unveiled in March and advertised as achieving a 97% charge in nine minutes.

As part of the new collaboration, the automaker also launched a "smart ordering function" that not only allows drivers to place orders directly from their car's onboard interface, but also displays known locations of KFC one-stop drive-thrus along the driver's route.

This smart ordering system is set to be progressively rolled out to BYD's passenger EV lineup, starting with the Fangchengbao Ti7 ("Formula Leopard Titanium 7") SUV.

In its statement, BYD said the collaboration sought to maximize the efficiency of on-the-go charging, which it described as a lingering pain point in EV ownership.

BYD announced the completion of its 5,000th flash charging station in China on March 31, with plans to construct a total of 20,000 by the end of the year.

BYD's stellar domestic sales growth has reversed recently, tracking a slump in China's broader EV sector amid persistent oversupply issues in the Chinese market and a rollback of government subsidies on new energy vehicles from the start of 2026.

Total first quarter sales from the Shenzhen-headquartered automaker dropped around 30% from the same period a year before, as offerings from domestic competitors like Stellantis-backed Leapmotor and Geely's Zeekr brand kept BYD on its toes.

In its recent annual financial statement, BYD also reported its first decline in annual profits since 2021. The firm's Hong Kong-listed shares are currently trading around 20% lower than a year ago.

BYD remains China's leading EV manufacturer, posting a total of 367,828 domestic sales over the first quarter of the year, according to CNBC's calculations.

BYD's collaboration with KFC sees the EV giant partnering with China's "leading fast-food chain," according to a 2025 industry report by DaXue Consulting.

"Fast food is firmly part of everyday life in China, especially in cities," said Ashley Dudarenok, founder of digital consultancy ChoZan, who cited long working hours, dense urban living, and the rise of delivery platforms in many cities across the world's second-most populous country.

Yum China reported that as of December 2025, nearly 13,000 KFC outlets were located across 2,500 Chinese cities. There are around 7,500 McDonald's outlets in mainland China, according to state-run Xinhua News.

KFC China saw overall sales in 2025 grow 5% year-on-year, and its operating profit rose 8%. China's fast-food industry was valued at $176.3 billion, according to IBISWorld estimates, with DaXue analysts projecting further growth, driven by demand from lower-tier Chinese cities.

CNBC has reached out to BYD and Yum China for comment.

— CNBC's Dylan Butts contributed to this report.