Chinese automaker BYD has introduced a new hybrid powertrain that enables a vehicle to travel over 2000 kilometers without recharging or refueling. This significant upgrade was unveiled at an event live-streamed from China, marking BYD’s latest achievement in reducing fuel consumption across five generations of hybrids since their debut in 2008.
The first two vehicles to feature this long-range capability are the mid-sized sedans Qin L and Seal 06, both of which were unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show in April. They are part of the Dynasty and Ocean series respectively. This new powertrain allows BYD’s dual-mode plug-in electric hybrid vehicles to manage the equivalent of a New York to Miami, or Munich to Madrid journey on a single charge and full tank.
BYD, which stopped producing fossil fuel-powered cars entirely in early 2022, has been ramping up hybrid exports to emerging markets that lack battery charging infrastructure. The company sold three million cars last year and has delivered almost one million this year through March. For every two hybrids sold in China, one is a BYD, underlining a key revenue and profit driver for the company.
This development is a significant step in the global automotive industry’s efforts to address consumers’ range anxiety and make vehicles that are better for the environment. It also intensifies competition with other automakers like Toyota and Volkswagen, which still primarily sell gasoline cars.
Read more: Bloomberg