From DHT to DM-i, how attractive are the hybrid technologies of BYD and Great Wall that are frequently released?

For many years, when we talk about hybrid technology, we subconsciously think of the technologies of two major brands - Toyota THS and Honda i-MMD. However, this almost ironclad pattern may be broken by the efforts of domestic brands.

At the end of 2020, Great Wall Motors released the Lemon Hybrid DHT system. Subsequently, BYD also released the new DM-i super hybrid technology at the beginning of this year. Without exception, both of them have focused their firepower on the traditional strengths of Japanese brands, hybrid technology.

Perhaps many people will be curious. As the leader in my country's new energy vehicle industry, why does BYD Auto not concentrate its efforts on attacking the pure electric market, but instead divides its forces into two routes and advances in both pure electric technology and hybrid technology at the same time?

The hybrid market

Data shows that my country's new energy vehicle market has continued to show a significant year-on-year increase in monthly sales since July 2020. In 2020, the production and sales of new energy vehicles reached 1.366 million and 1.367 million respectively, up 7.5% and 10.9% year-on-year respectively, setting a record high in production and sales.

In terms of energy types, pure electric vehicle sales accounted for more than 80% of new energy vehicles in 2020. In 2020, the production and sales of pure electric vehicles reached 1.105 million and 1.115 million respectively, up 5.4% and 11.6% year-on-year respectively.

Although pure electric vehicles account for a high proportion in the new energy vehicle market in 2020, combined with the sales of hybrid vehicles from 2016 to 2020, we can clearly see the potential of the hybrid vehicle market.

In 2016, the production and sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles reached 99,000 and 98,000 respectively, up 15.7% and 17.1% year-on-year;

In 2017, production and sales were 128,000 and 125,000 units respectively;

In 2018, production and sales reached 283,000 and 271,000 vehicles respectively, down 22.5% and 14.5% respectively from the same period last year.

By 2020, the production and sales volume of plug-in hybrid vehicles reached 260,000 and 251,000 respectively, up 18.5% and 8.4% year-on-year respectively.

It can be seen from the data that amid the popularity of electric vehicles, hybrid models are still an important part of my country's automobile market.

Compared with the "hundred schools of thought" in the electric vehicle market, there are not many competitors in the hybrid vehicle market, and most of the market share is almost occupied by "Two Toyotas".

For example, FAW Toyota's hybrid family sold 93,351 units in the whole year, a year-on-year increase of 29%. Among the independent brands, BYD sold 48,000 plug-in hybrid passenger cars in 2020. For car companies, the hybrid car market is still a big piece of cake, so 91che expects that more car companies will join this market and become competitors of the "two Toyotas".

Electric vehicles still need to "speed up"

From the above data, we can see that although electric vehicles have occupied about 80% of the new energy vehicle market, the hybrid vehicle market still maintains a relatively high growth rate. In other words, the development of hybrid vehicles is still an important trend in the automobile market.

The main reason is that there is still room for development in electric vehicle technology, such as the headache of electric vehicles' range in winter. Therefore, in order to ensure the diversified development of the automobile market, relevant departments have also introduced some policies to promote the development of hybrid vehicles.

The General Office of the State Council proposed deepening the "three vertical and three horizontal" research and development layout in the New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2021-2035). It proposed to lay out the vehicle technology innovation chain with pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles (including extended-range) and fuel cell vehicles as the "three verticals". Develop a new generation of modular high-performance vehicle platforms, overcome the integrated design of pure electric vehicle chassis and multi-energy power system integration technology, break through common energy-saving technologies such as vehicle intelligent energy management control, lightweight, and low friction, improve the safety technology level of battery management, charging connection, structural design, and improve the comprehensive performance of new energy vehicles.

The plan incorporates the development of plug-in hybrid vehicles into the development plan, which means that in the next fifteen years, while relevant departments will continue to promote the development of electric vehicles, they will also pay more attention to the development of hybrid models.

91che remembers that after the State Council issued the "Energy-Saving and New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2012-2020)" in 2012, it insisted on the pure electric drive strategy, which led to the accelerated development of pure electric vehicles. Therefore, under the impetus of the New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2021-2035), the development of hybrid models will also enter a new stage.

It should be noted that more and more countries have decided to ban the sale of fuel vehicles. For example, countries such as the Netherlands will officially ban the sale of fuel vehicles around 2030, and many countries have already determined the timetable for banning the sale of fuel vehicles. Our Ministry of Transport has also recently issued a notice stating that the time for the delisting of fuel vehicles has been set, and the ban on sales in Hainan, China will be 2030.

Against the backdrop of global energy conservation and environmental protection, the withdrawal of fuel vehicles from the market has become an inevitable trend, so traditional car companies also need to start preparing for the transition to electric vehicles, among which hybrid vehicles are undoubtedly the best development solution for car companies during the transition period.

Hybrid technology is becoming more mature

In addition to policy promotion and market demand, my country's development in new energy vehicle technology is also a key factor in determining whether automakers choose hybrid vehicles as transitional products.

Since my country's automobile industry started late, its internal combustion engine and other technologies are not as mature as those of developed countries. The emergence of electric vehicles has given us hope of overtaking others, but shortcomings are always shortcomings. We still need to develop key technologies such as internal combustion engines, only in this way can we better develop the entire automobile industry.

The achievements made by Great Wall Motors and BYD in the field of hybrid vehicles just prove that my country has made good progress in key technologies such as engines. This can be seen from the top ten "Chinese Core" engines in 2020.

We can see that Great Wall Motors' GW4N20 2.0TGDi and other self-developed engines have made it to the list. The point is that among the top ten "Chinese Core" engines this year, self-developed engines occupy eight seats. This shows that we are gradually catching up with joint venture brands in the traditional three major components, laying a more solid foundation for development.

Take Great Wall Motors' Lemon Hybrid DHT technology as an example. It perfectly balances low fuel consumption and strong power. This advantage is not difficult to achieve even for Toyota and other established car companies. Take Toyota's hybrid system as an example. In daily use, although the Atkins cycle can be used to reduce power in exchange for maximum thermal efficiency, thereby achieving fuel saving, the reduction in power makes the vehicle seem a little lacking in stamina when driving on the highway.

The HEV architecture of Lemon Hybrid DHT is the first dual-motor HEV architecture in China. Compared with the hybrid technologies of Toyota and Honda, Great Wall DHT covers the blank areas that Toyota and Honda have ignored through a two-speed direct-drive engine and a dual-motor structure. In addition to improving fuel economy, it can also theoretically solve the abruptness of engine intervention and improve comfort. In addition, the core working principle of Lemon Hybrid DHT is to always make the engine work at the highest efficiency point, or maximize the efficiency of the engine. While ensuring fuel economy, the vehicle's power is also significantly improved.

The Great Wall Motors R&D team said that China has a vast territory and complex terrain, so they want to make this hybrid technology into a new hybrid technology with optimal performance in all speed ranges and all scenarios. 91che also believes that only local car companies can best understand the needs of domestic users and create products that better meet everyone's needs.

Although BYD's DM-i system is technically different from Great Wall Motors', its "core idea" is to use electricity as the main system and oil as the auxiliary system, but it can take into account both fuel economy and power performance.

Specifically, the DM-i super hybrid is based on a large-capacity battery and a large-mileage motor. The vehicle is driven by a high-power motor while driving, while the main function of the gasoline engine is to charge the battery. It will only drive directly when more power is needed. This hybrid technology is different from the traditional hybrid technology that relies on the characteristics of the engine, so it can more effectively reduce fuel consumption and increase power.

Judging from the current automobile market demand and the policies introduced by relevant departments, hybrid vehicles will still be the main direction of development in the future.

Therefore, the deep cultivation of Great Wall Motors and BYD in the field of hybrid vehicles will help domestic brands occupy a certain market share in the hybrid vehicle market, and even share the same market share with Toyota, Honda and other automakers in the future. For Chinese consumers, the domestic trend of hybrid vehicles is about to sweep in, and the vast domestic market will benefit greatly from it, both in terms of products and prices.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.