This car is supposed to be able to drive endlessly: If the Chinese car manufacturer BYD can keep all its promises with the Qin L DM-i, a trip from Flensburg to Naples without refueling would be possible.
It takes a leisurely 21 hours to drive from Flensburg to Naples. With any normal car you would have to stop at least once, but actually more often. Not only because your bladder will start to pressurize at some point, but because a full tank of fuel is usually not enough for the almost 2100-kilometer journey. BYD was not able to solve the problem of the pressing bladder, but in the future it will probably no longer be the car’s fault that you cannot complete the journey without a break.
Small engine, long range
As “” reports, the Chinese car giant BYD recently introduced the so-called Qin L DM-i. Two values seem almost unbelievable for this inconspicuous vehicle. Since the Qin L only uses a comparatively small combustion engine with 1.5 liters and 99 hp, but the engine is supported by an electric drive with a maximum 15.8 kilowatt hour battery and 217 hp, the range with a full tank and charged battery is said to be a record-breaking 2100 kilometers.
This is also due to the extremely low fuel consumption that BYD specifies for the vehicle: According to this, the inline four-cylinder engine requires just 2.9 liters of petrol per 100 kilometers when driven moderately. According to the manufacturer, the engine achieves this by using an AI that decides which drive is used and when. The purely electric range is specified as a maximum of 120 kilometers.
However, all ranges are measured using the fairly generous CLTC method. Compared to the much more realistic EPA measurements from the Americans, the deviations can be as much as 30 percent. It is therefore entirely possible that the 2000-kilometer mark is only reached on paper. Nevertheless, if you subtract 30 percent of the measurement optimism, the Qin L DM-i would still have just under 1500 kilometers. Then a short break in Florence would be in order on the route from Flensburg to Naples.
BYD Qin L DM-i available from 13,000 euros
The car, which is already available in China, also comes with an astonishing price. In the lowest equipment variant, the Qin L DM-i starts at the equivalent of just under 13,000 euros, while the “DM-i Excellence” with a large battery costs around 18,000 euros. The car is 4.8 meters long and 1.9 meters wide.
The interior is minimalistic, with only two displays and a few buttons on the steering wheel and center console. Most of the controls are via the central screen. The more expensive models include a glass roof, various assistants, electrically adjustable seats and seat heating and cooling.
The Qin L DM-i is clearly designed as a long-distance vehicle without particularly high performance. No miracles in terms of performance can be expected from the small engine for the comparatively large car. The electric motor should still enable a quick sprint.
As is often the case with new vehicles from the manufacturer, export to Europe is not planned at the moment. Whether this will be the case at some point remains to be seen.
Source: Stern
I’m a recent graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. I started working as a news reporter for 24 Hours World about two years ago, and I’ve been writing articles ever since. My main focus is automotive news, but I’ve also written about politics, lifestyle, and entertainment.
