The firm's latest plug-in hybrid includes an ultra-efficient 1.5-liter petrol engine and two available electric motors. BYD says its new engine has a thermal efficiency of 46.06%, the highest of any production car. Prices for the Qin L DM-i and Seal 06 DM-i start at just $13,750. BYD has launched its fifth-generation plug-in hybrid powertrain in China, which allows a vehicle to travel 1,304 miles without stopping. The carmaker’s new DM system premiered in the Qin L DM-i and Seal 06 DM-i.
It features plenty of trick tech to achieve this efficiency, including what the company describes as intelligent combustion, variable lubrication, and split cooling systems. Prior to this, Toyota is thought to have had the most thermally efficient production engine at roughly 41%. This means that 41% of the work being done by the engine is converted into power while the remaining 59% is lost as heat. Ultra-efficient Formula 1 engines operate at around 50% thermal efficiency.