BYD is aiming to break the 1930km range barrier with its next petrol-electric cars, which will use a fifth-generation plug-in hybrid system and a fourth-generation EV platform.
The new range-extending PHEV system, elements of which are expected to be revealed at the Beijing Motor Show in April, is an evolution of the Dual Mode (DM) system used across BYD's current range.
The Chinese manufacturer introduced the DM system in 2008 and has been updating it with new technological advances ever since.
The fourth-generation system used in PHEVs - including the latest version of the company's best-selling SUV, the Song Plus - comes in two forms: the efficiency-oriented DM-i and the more performance-oriented DM-p. Both use a 110-hp turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine running on the Atkinson cycle, combined with a 177-hp synchronous electric motor and CVT.
Buyers of the DM-i model can choose between an 8.32kWh or 18.32kWh LFP battery, which is said to have a range of up to 1150km on China's CLTC test cycle. The fuel tank capacity is 60 litres.
The first version of BYD's fifth-generation PHEV system, due to be launched in 2025 cars, is said to build on the strengths of the existing DM-i system with key developments in the engine, motor and battery.
Although fuel tank and battery capacity parameters have yet to be revealed, it's said to offer scope for a range of up to 2000km, depending on the model - suggesting either a drastic increase in the size of the battery or fuel tank, and possibly the potential for the system to operate as a 'full hybrid' when the traction battery is depleted, boosting the efficiency of the combustion engine.
The new PHEV system will be combined with a new generation of BYD's widely used ePlatform.
Current BYD models are based on the 3.0 ePlatform, launched in 2021. Models with the new PHEV system will be based on a more advanced 4.0 ePlatform - which will also be used for BYD's next generation of EVs.
More than half of BYD's 3.02 million global sales in 2023 will be PHEVs.
Source: Autocar
