'The new battleground': BYD promises next generation of plug-in hybrid cars will deliver major improvements in EV range and fast charging to fend off range-extender electric vehicles: report

BYD is seeking to clamp down on the burgeoning range-extender electric vehicle (REEV) market by readying a new line-up of ultra long-range plug-in hybrids (PHEV).

According to Autocar, the new generation of PHEVs from the Chinese EV powerhouse, which are due in the next two years, will carry upwards of 200km of electric range coupled with 150kW rapid charging, exceeding anything the brand sells under its current DM-i generation.

The longest-range BYD PHEV currently on sale in Australia is the Sealion 6, which delivers up to 92km of electric range and 1092km of comprehensive range (both under the NEDC cycle) with a max DC charging rate of 18kW. Australia's longest-range PHEV is the GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV; it claims 180km of electric range.

BYD’s current PHEV models use a Blade battery, paired with its Xiaoyun 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which is designed specifically for PHEV use.

Alfredo Altavilla, BYD’s special advisor for Europe, told Autocar that PHEV models are quickly becoming "the new battleground” for manufacturers as a revision on the European Union’s ban on internal combustion engines (ICE) looks increasingly likely.

Altavilla said BYD is best positioned to capitalise on any timeframe adjustments given its competitors aren't able to match its PHEV capabilities.

In a swipe at its competitors, Altavilla said: “If you have just 35-45km of range as an EV, you're fundamentally an internal combustion engine with a plug.”

“That's the reason why a lot of manufacturers are now trying to come closer to our plug-in hybrid technology with the range-extender.”

REEVs are different from PHEVs in that they don’t use an ICE engine to power the wheels; rather, it is used as an onboard generator to power the battery that in turn powers the wheels.

Local investors in REEV technology include Nissan, BMW, and more recently, Leapmotor.

Leapmotor recently launched its C10 Ultra REEV in Australia, which it says can offer 145km of electric range and 970km of total range (both under the more stringent WLTP cycle) from a single charge and a 50-litre tank of fuel.

Energy efficiency is managed between four different drive modes – EV+, EV, Fuel, and Power+ – that fluctuate between the amount of fuel and battery power that is used.

The brand’s local boss, Andy Hoang, called it “the best type of hybrid out there” and the perfect proposition for Australia where distances are long and charging infrastructure is few-and-far between.

Altavilla countered the claimed supremacy of REEVs to Autocar, arguing that PHEVs are more dynamic thanks to their additional powertrain modes.

“You can have three different ways of using the car [EV, hybrid and parallel hybrid]; it's your decision, depending on how much power you need from the engine, [whereas] the EREV is always behaving in one way."