BYD is busy rolling out its megawatt Flash Charging network across China. While naughty children have used some stations as playground swings, the Chinese NEV giant has given its chargers a new form of existence as a cat bed. Priced at 88 yuan (13 USD), the bed reportedly sold out immediately.

The Flash Charging network reached 10,000 stations in late August, and BYD pledged to build another 10,000 by the end of 2026. It aims to provide megawatt charging for both NEVs and plug-in hybrids, promising a 10-97% charge in 9 minutes.

Flash “sleeping” for cats.

The Flash Charger cat bed resembles a real charger, with a chubby T-shaped exterior and a cyan-black colour scheme. A Flash Charging logo is embroidered on the upper bar, and twin soft ball toys, resembling the real charger’s twin cables, hang down from above.

BYD says it chose a thicker bed material to maintain warmth, while softer surfaces ensure “greater comfort”, typical of a cat bed. It’s unclear, though, whether the bed is machine washable or whether its exterior can be removed for cleaning.

The automaker even suggests its new bed will usher in the next stage of feline evolution, promising “5-minute naps” and “9-minute deep sleeps”, a radical reduction from the usual 12-16 hours a typical housecat needs.

Like the real-world Flash Charger network, BYD says the cat bed works for most pets, though it recommends a max weight of 15 jin (half kilograms), or 7.5 kg. Chinese social media seems to corroborate this, with images of larger cats unable to fit completely in the bed.

Availability

The Flash Charger cat bed was first launched in late September, with pre-sales offered through the merch store in the Fang Cheng Bao (FCB) owner’s app. Initially priced at 88 yuan (13 USD), the cat bed reportedly sold out immediately.

The bed appears to be a hit in China, and some BYD dealers have jumped in on the trend, promising prospective buyers free Flash Charger cat beds. Some owners have even compared the sold-out cat bed to BYD’s earlier battery supply crunch, with long waiting lists for Flash Charging-capable NEVs.

The Flash Charger cat bed measures 400 mm wide at the bottom, 490 mm at the top, and 420 mm tall. BYD says it’s made of polyester and faux rabbit hair and hasn’t said when the bed will be back in stock.

Source: WeChat – BYD Fang Cheng Bao (FCB) Official Account

Source: CarNewsChina (View original)