Tesla rival BYD’s electric cars can now charge as fast as a petrol car

Chinese automaker BYD has become the first in the world to unveil a commercial battery for electric vehicles that is capable of charging in roughly the same amount of time as it takes to fill up a fuel tank.

BYD’s new Super E-Platform offers 1,000kW charge speeds, which is four times quicker than the 250kW charging rates of Tesla superchargers.

These speeds can offer a range of up to 400km (249 miles) in just five minutes of charging.

During a live stream event at the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China, BYD said mass production of the new technology would “completely solve users’ range anxiety when travelling”.

The first models to feature the ultra-fast charging system will be BYD’s latest Han L and Tang L models, which will only be available in China to begin with.

Demand for electric vehicles in China has soared in recent years, with more than 20 million battery-powered cars now on the road.

BYD is the best-selling brand in China, accounting for roughly a third of all EV sales in the country. Last year, the company overtook Tesla to become the world’s largest EV manufacturer, despite a relatively modest market share in Europe – and still no presence in the US.

Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that the global surge in electric vehicle sales has seen demand for combustion engine cars begin to drop.

The figures showed that electric cars made up 18 per cent of all new cars sold worldwide in 2023, up from 14 per cent the year before.

Meanwhile, sales of combustion engine cars fell by a quarter from 83.7 million to 62.8 million between 2018 and 2023, suggesting that global sales of polluting vehicles have already peaked.

BYD’s latest breakthrough is expected to continue driving demand, though the flash-charging system will require specialist charging ports in order to achieve the most efficient charging times.

The company’s founder, Wang Chuanfu, said during the livestream that prices for the Han L and Tang L models will likely start at around $40,000.

Australia’s growing heatwave threat putting strain on people’s hearts

Rising temperatures in Australia are putting increasing strain on people’s hearts, with heat-related cardiovascular disease expected to double or even triple by mid-century, according to a new study.

Nearly 50,000 years of healthy life are lost every year in Australia due to cardiovascular disease linked to hot weather, accounting for 7.3 per cent of the nation’s total heart disease burden.

That number is set to skyrocket as the climate crisis intensifies, the study published on Monday in the European Heart Journal said.

“If we continue on our current emissions path, the burden of heart disease from extreme heat could more than double by 2050,” professor Peng Bi, study lead researcher from the University of Adelaide, said.

Researchers say while longer heatwaves are associated with many adverse health impacts, it is still not clear exactly how many people are living with serious heart disease or dying early because of higher temperatures. The new study offers an understanding.

“Many of us have experienced how hot weather can make us feel unwell, but what we are seeing now is that climate change is worsening cardiovascular health at an alarming rate,” the professor said.

“When the weather is hot, our hearts have to work harder to help us cool down. This added pressure can be dangerous, especially for people with cardiovascular disease.”

The study analyses 15 years of Australian health data to measure the impact of heat-related cardiovascular disease. It uses a metric called disability-adjusted life years, which accounts for both years lost to premature death and years spent living with illness.

“This study combines several key factors – climate change, population shifts, and adaptation strategies – to give a full picture of the disease burden across Australia. This makes our study one of the first of its kind globally,” Dr Bi said.

An average of 49,483 years of healthy life are lost annually to cardiovascular disease caused by heat, most due to early death rather than illness.

The study uses climate models based on greenhouse gas emission scenarios to project the worsening impact in the coming decades.

By 2030, the burden of heart disease linked to extreme heat is expected to increase by 83.5 per cent, reaching over 90,000 years of healthy life lost annually, it predicts. By 2050 the loss is projected to soar to 139,828 years, a 182.6 per cent rise, if emissions stabilise.

But under a worst-case scenario, where emissions continue rising unchecked, the increase may be as high as 225.6 per cent, with 161,095 years of healthy life lost annually by 2050.

Though the study is focused on Australia, rising temperatures are a global public health crisis. “While the specific risks may vary depending on local climates, population demographics and levels of adaptation, the overall trend – that higher temperatures lead to more cardiovascular disease burden – is likely relevant in many parts of the world,” Dr Bi said.

Scientists say the findings show there’s a need for immediate public health action to protect vulnerable populations, particularly older adults, people with pre-existing heart conditions and those living in extreme heat zones.

“Our research shows that as climate change brings more frequent and intense heat, the risks associated with higher temperatures will increase, especially for vulnerable groups,” Dr Bi said.

The researchers stress that adaptation strategies – such as urban cooling projects, better emergency responses and stronger public health campaigns – can significantly reduce the impact of extreme heat on heart disease.

On an individual level, health experts say, staying hydrated, seeking cool environments and limiting outdoor activities during peak temperatures can help. They also recommend monitoring heart health closely, especially for those with existing cardiovascular conditions.

The Australian Heart Foundation urges people to adopt heart-healthy diets containing more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins to reduce overall cardiovascular risk.

More than 100 surfers fall ill as mysterious sea foam appears on beach

A mysterious foam has washed up on south Australia’s beaches, coinciding with fish deaths and surfers falling ill with symptoms like coughing, sore throat and blurred vision.

The foam has covered hundreds of metres along Waitpinga Beach, about 15km southwest of Victor Harbor.

Several people who visited the beach over the weekend experienced cold and flu-like symptoms afterwards.

Parsons Beach, another popular surfing spot just west of Waitpinga, is also affected.

Scores of marine animals, including seahorses, fish and octopuses, have washed up on the sand, and visitors have noticed a visible “slick” on the water.

The Department for Environment and Water has temporarily closed both Waitpinga and Parsons, nearly 80km south of Adelaide, citing a possible link between the foam and a microalgal bloom, likely triggered by hot temperatures, stagnant water and an ongoing marine heatwave.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions is investigating the “fish mortality event”.

A department spokesperson said that its “role in this type of incident is to investigate the cause of the fish kill to rule out infectious and notifiable animal diseases, establish the cause, and coordinate a response where necessary.

“Fish kill events can be brought on by a variety of causes including environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall (or lack of) and water quality including salinity or oxygen levels, or by disease or pollutants.”

A local surfer, Anthony Rowland, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he visited Waitpinga on Saturday morning with a few friends.

“While we were out there, we started coughing,” he said. “We came in and we kept coughing after walking up the hill, and a few people in the car park came over and they said that they’d experienced the same coughing and they hadn’t even hit the water yet.”

Mr Rowland said he experienced sore eyes, sore throat and coughing which “continued all day”.

After he posted about his experience on social media, many people responded that they had experienced similar symptoms after visiting the beach.

“Lots of people reached out,” he said, “so many people have said they have had exactly the same symptoms.

It’s quite overwhelming. I’d say that pretty much every single person that went in the water at Waitpinga, bar one young fella that had a quick half-an-hour surf, has reported the same symptoms.”

After speaking with other people, Mr Rowland said, he estimated there were more than 100 people affected.

Another surfer, identified by local media as Andy from Middleton, said he visited Parsons on Saturday morning and afterwards received messages from several friends reporting sore eyes and feeling unwell.

“They had coughs, they had breathing difficulties when they were driving home back to Adelaide,” he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

“A lot of people come down here on the weekends to surf from Adelaide and I had 30 or 40 messages with the same symptoms and they actually said their friends had it as well.

“Some people reported a bit of a slick on the water too. A couple people said they saw a lot of green on the beach, but yesterday there was a lot of foam, a lot of brown on the beach as well. There’s lots of different theories going around at the moment.”

South Australia Health principal water quality adviser David Cunliffe told Nine News that exposure to algae can trigger allergic reactions, including respiratory and eye irritation or skin rashes, while ingestion may lead to stomach upsets or flu-like symptoms.

“These symptoms disappear when the exposure stops or following washing in clean water,” he said. “People should avoid contact with discoloured fresh or marine water. If they do enter this water they should take care to wash in clean water afterwards.”

Ocean Watch Australia states on its website that “most sea foam is not harmful to humans and is often an indication of a productive ocean ecosystem. But when large harmful algal blooms decay near shore, there are potential for impacts to human health and the environment”.

“During blooms popping sea foam bubbles are one way that algal toxins become airborne. The resulting aerosol can irritate the eyes of beach goers and poses a health risk for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions.”