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https://www.straitstimes.com/busine...-can-drive-non-stop-from-singapore-to-bangkok
BYD unveils new hybrid that can drive non-stop from Singapore to Bangkok
BYD will launch the upgraded tech in two sedans immediately that cost under 100,000 yuan (S$19,000). PHOTO: AFP
UPDATED MAY 31, 2024, 02:22 PM
HONG KONG - BYD unveiled a new hybrid powertrain capable of traveling more than 2,000km (1,250 miles) without recharging or refuelling, intensifying the EV transition competition with the likes of Toyota Motor and Volkswagen.
A powertrain is an assembly of every component that thrusts a car into motion.
The upgraded tech, which aims to put more distance between BYD and its rivals, will be launched in two sedans immediately that cost under 100,000 yuan (S$19,000), the automaker said at an event live-streamed on May 28 from China.
The longer range means some of BYD’s dual-mode plug-in electric hybrid cars can cover the equivalent of Singapore to Bangkok, New York to Miami, or Munich to Madrid on each charge and a full tank of gas. The milestone marks BYD’s latest achievement in slashing fuel consumption since introducing its first hybrids in 2008.
Shenzhen-based BYD has upended China’s auto market with widespread price cuts – at some expense to its own profitability – and the positioning of the long-range hybrids may further stoke the price war.
The company sold three million cars in 2023 and has delivered almost one million in 2024 through April. One of every two hybrids sold in China is a BYD, underlining the extent to which they are a key revenue and profit driver for the manufacturer.
Automakers globally are trying to ease consumers’ range anxiety while offering vehicles that are better for the environment.
Toyota on May 28 unveiled prototypes of a new generation of internal combustion engine that can run on hydrogen, gasoline or other fuels, alongside batteries.
During the event, BYD claimed that in tests, its plug-in hybrid managed to achieve as much as 2,500km of range. For now, the upgrades are destined for made-in-China cars, but they are likely to be exported soon.
Electric and hybrid vehicles alike are pushing the boundaries on range to tackle what some consumers still see as a detraction when switching from gas.
BYD stopped producing cars powered entirely by fossil fuels in early 2022 and has been ramping up hybrid exports to emerging markets that lack battery-charging infrastructure.
The first two vehicles to come with the long-range capabilities are mid-size sedans – the Qin L and the Seal 06 – that BYD unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show in April. They are part of the Dynasty and Ocean series, respectively. BLOOMBERG
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