BYD has announced that it has developed a new plug-in hybrid powertrain, the main feature of which is that it is the first to be based on a gasoline engine, specially created for this purpose, with a horizontally opposed cylinder architecture. A solution also known as “boxer,” long used by brands such as Porsche and Subaru, which has as its main advantage, especially in a configuration with four or more cylinders, extremely balanced operation, very smooth, because it is practically free of vibrations, thanks to the fact that each pair of cylinders is mounted on its own crankshaft journal, thus moving in the same direction (reaching the top and bottom dead centers at the same time), thereby canceling out the respective forces.
With four cylinders, 2.0 liters of capacity, dry sump lubrication (which helps make it quite compact, measuring only 420 mm in height), and an output of 272 hp and 380 Nm, this new engine is intended for BYD’s plug-in hybrids developed based on the e4 platform. It provides the additional benefit of helping to lower the center of gravity and improve mass distribution, and its main mission is to generate energy to charge the battery that powers the electric motors, although, under certain conditions, it can also directly drive the rear wheels. Its debut is confirmed in the plug-in hybrid version of the luxury sedan Yangwang U7, being integrated into a front module that also includes a generator, two electric motors, and two solenoids from the active suspension damping system.
