New Delhi, March 19 -- Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD looks set to extend its global lead over its US-based competitor Tesla. BYD has unveiled a new supercharger that can juice up a car battery within 5 minutes to run for another 400km.

That blistering pace puts EV charging at par with the time it typically takes to get a refill of conventional fuel at a filling station. This alone could prove a big draw for its EVs. In comparison, Tesla's superchargers offer a charging speed that's far less impressive, adding a range of up to 270km in 15 minutes.

BYD has already overtaken Tesla as the world's largest EV maker by sales volume. Its investors are delighted, with BYD's shares listed in Hong Kong rising as much as 6% on Tuesday.

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