Yahoo Autos Chinese Car Company Says Its New Hybrids Will Do 1300 Miles on a Tank of Gas
BYD is China's top-selling electric car maker but on Tuesday the company displayed its latest fifth-generation plug-in hybrid technology. BYD claims that vehicles with this technology will be able to travel over 1,300 miles before needing to refuel per Reuters. BYD will install this technology in vehicles priced as low as $13,775,
Size of its gas tank aside, BYD says these hybrids have done 81 miles per gallon, as Wards notes, and that's on depleted batteries, drinking just 2.9 liters (roughly three-quarters of a U.S. gallon) of fuel over 62 miles. The full 2100-km range is with a full tank and full battery. How big that tank will have to be to meet that figure is a bit of a question, but if we're talking about a reasonably standard 13-gallon tank, it'd have to be doing 100 mpg altogether.
Imagine driving from New York to Miami without having to stop to refuel. It may be possible if you are behind the wheel of a BYD Qin L or Seal 06 that will use the latest DM hybrid technology. The incredibly long range is not exactly the main selling point but does show the efficiency and practicality of a good plug-in hybrid. BYD claims the average consumer will save approximately $1337 a year in fuel costs compared to running an equivalent gasoline-power vehicle. Consumers also save upfront costs as well. BYD has reduced the prices of its plug-in hybrids by 10-22 percent in the first quarter of this year.
The automotive industry is moving toward all-electric vehicles, but consumer adoption has been slower than anticipated. As a result, focus remains on improving gasoline-hybrid technology. Over the past three years, the majority of BYD sales have consisted of plug-in hybrids, with nearly 3.6 million of them sold during that time.
BYD is the largest BEV maker in China, but it does not currently have any plans to sell vehicles in the United States. However, this latest hybrid technology is intriguing. The plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius Prime which is sold here has a total range that is less than half of what BYD promises out of their new vehicles. Will other automakers be able to catch up with the BYD technology?
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