BYD will launch its fifth-generation DM (Dual Mode) hybrid technology on May 28, which is expected to give vehicles a range of up to 2,000 km on a full tank of fuel and a full charge.

BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) will launch its next generation DM (Dual Mode) hybrid technology next week, promising to give vehicles a range of up to 2,000 kilometers on a full tank of gas and a full charge.

“On May 28, BYD's fifth-generation DM technology will be launched, stay tuned,” the Chinese new energy-vehicle (NEV) maker wrote on Weibo today.

BYD's production facility in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in northwest China, saw the unveiling of a monument to the birthplace of the world's first plug-in hybrid vehicle. The company mentioned its plans for next-generation hybrid technology when announcing the monument.

The monument is a testament to BYD's 20 years of plug-in hybrid technology accumulation and an important milestone in China's NEV development, it said.

Separately, Lu Tian, general manager of BYD's head of sales for Dynasty lineup, said on Weibo that the Qin L will go on sale on May 28, hinting that the hybrid sedan will be the first to feature BYD's fifth-generation DM system.

BYD's first plug-in hybrid was the F3DM, which went on sale in 2008 and has now been discontinued.

The company initiated the development of plug-in hybrid technology in 2004 and launched its first-generation DM hybrid technology platform in 2008.

In 2021, BYD launched its fourth-generation DM platform, dividing the technology into the more performance-oriented DM-p and the more energy-consumption-oriented DM-i. BYD's current hybrid models are based on the fourth-generation DM platform.

On March 27, BYD chairman and president Wang Chuanfu said at an investor conference that the company will launch its fifth-generation DM hybrid technology in May, with fuel consumption dropping to 2.9 liters per 100 kilometers on a low charge, and the vehicle's range reaching up to 2,000 kilometers on a full charge and full gass.

BYD will gradually make the switch to the fifth-generation DM model in May based on market conditions, Wang said at the time.

In 2025, BYD will invest more in DM hybrid technology, intelligent driving, and chips and algorithms, among other areas, with DM hybrid technology expected to be an important driver of BYD's performance growth, Wang said.

On April 25, BYD unveiled the Qin L DM-i and Seal 06 DM-i hybrid sedans on the first day of the 2024 Beijing auto show.

The two midsize sedans are part of BYD's Dynasty and Ocean series, respectively, and both will go on sale in the second quarter, BYD said at the time.

The Qin L is born from BYD's next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicle platform, and the Seal 06 is also based on the new platform, the company said at the time.

BYD Qin L with next-gen DM-i hybrid tech expected to hit market on May 29, report says