Skyworth Auto on Monday announced its new SUV, the Skyworth HT-i, which will feature a DM-i hybrid system, the first time BYD has made the system available to other brands.

(Image credit: Skyworth)

In addition to power batteries, BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY, HKG: 1211) has also begun offering its signature DM-i super hybrid system to other carmakers.

Skyworth Auto, the carmaking arm of Chinese appliance giant Skyworth Group, on Monday unveiled a new SUV model, the Skyworth HT-i, to be equipped with the DM-i hybrid system, the first time BYD has made the system available to other brands.

Skyworth said the model is powered by the Xiaoyun 1.5L engine for plug-in hybrids, which has a 43.04 percent thermal efficiency, the highest in the world.

The engine has a peak power of 81kW and peak torque of 135Nm, Skyworth said.

The model features an EHS powertrain, where the engine and motor can drive the vehicle simultaneously or separately, according to the company.

Skyworth said the model is powered by a battery dedicated to the long-range super hybrid system. Although it doesn't specify, it appears to be BYD's blade battery, as it previously used the same description when announcing the system.

The model has an all-electric range of up to 200km, a combined range of 1,267km and a minimum fuel consumption as low as 5.3L per 100km under low charge, Skyworth said.

Skyworth said the model is already available for pre-order but has not announced its pricing.

BYD unveiled its DM-i Super Hybrid technology on January 11 last year, with the EHS powertrain being the core system of the technology.

This is an electric drive-based hybrid technology that can make the vehicle range exceed 1,200km, and the 0-100km/h acceleration time will be 2-3 seconds faster than that of a comparable fuel car, BYD said at the time.

At the end of June last year, BYD invested RMB 2 billion ($310 million) in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, in order to build a production line with an annual capacity of 500,000 sets of EHS powertrain for new energy vehicles (NEVs).

Skyworth, founded in June 2000, is one of China's best-known home appliance giants.

On April 27 last year, Skyworth founder Huang Hongsheng announced the renaming of Skywell Auto to Skyworth Auto and the renaming of the previously available Skywell ET5 to the Skyworth ET5 model.

Skyworth then changed the model's name to Skyworth EV6 and made it available on July 28 of last year, the only model currently on sale by the company.

Skyworth previously said it was aiming for annual sales of 250,000 units by 2025 and 500,000 units by 2030.