Many new NEV owners will face a situation of choosing between plug-in hybrid and extended range when choosing a hybrid model. For the sake of traffic, some people on the Internet actually say that the range extender is more "advanced" than the plug-in hybrid. As a popular science blogger, I really can't stand it.
First of all, plug-in hybrid (plug-in hybrid) and extended-range hybrid (extended-range) are two common technical routes. They have their own advantages and disadvantages, but in essence, the extended-range hybrid is a simplified version of the plug-in hybrid. The extended-range hybrid technology is relatively simple, using a series operation mode in which the engine generates electricity to the electric motor to drive the vehicle. Plug-in hybrids, on the other hand, are more complex, with parallel and direct engine modes in addition to series mode, which intelligently adjusts the power output according to the driving state.
Therefore, from the perspective of technical threshold, the technical difficulty and cost of plug-in mixing are usually higher than that of increasing the range. This is because plug-in hybrid systems need to consider the interoperability of multiple power components such as the electric motor, engine, battery and drivetrain, as well as the energy management and control strategies between them. This requires higher engineering and manufacturing capabilities, as well as more sophisticated control systems and algorithms.
In contrast, the technical difficulty of the extended-range hybrid system is relatively low. It relies primarily on the internal combustion engine as its main power** and charges the battery through a power generation function, thus extending the driving range in pure electric mode. While extended-range systems also need to consider components such as the electric motor, battery, and drivetrain working together, their control strategies and energy management are relatively simple, making them easier to implement. This is one of the reasons why the hybrid vehicles of the current new car manufacturers generally adopt the range extender route.
In addition to the differences we have mentioned above, plug-in hybrid technology can balance the dual needs of vehicle performance and economy. When driving in urban areas, it can be driven by pure electric power, which is energy-saving and environmentally friendlyWhen driving or accelerating at high speeds, the engine and electric motor can work together to provide greater power output. In contrast, extended-range cars rely entirely on the engine for power, and their power output may be relatively small.
Plug-in hybrid models also have advantages in terms of fuel consumption. When driving in urban areas, it can be driven purely electrically to achieve zero fuel consumptionAt high speeds or when the power is lost, the engine and electric motor are driven together, and the fuel consumption level can still be low. On the other hand, the fuel consumption of the extended-range hybrid model is relatively high at high speed or in the state of power loss.
Take BYD Xiaoyun - plug-in hybrid dedicated 1The 5L high-efficiency engine, for example, has a thermal efficiency of 43%, and the fuel consumption of the Song PLUS DM-i equipped with this engine is only 44l。On the other hand, the extended-range hybrid camp, such as the "Wenjie M5", has an engine thermal efficiency of 41% and a fuel consumption of up to 65l/100km。The engine thermal efficiency of the "Ideal L7" is 405%, and its fuel consumption per 100 kilometers when the power loss is 72l。So we can see that plug-in hybrid vehicles tend to have advantages such as greater power output, lower fuel consumption, longer range and lower emissions than extended-range vehicles. Of course, the specific degree of advantage may be affected by factors such as model configuration, technical route and usage scenarios.
In general, the plug-in hybrid technology represented by BYD has significant advantages in the industry, and the DM-i super hybrid technology achieves the effect of ultra-low fuel consumption, which is very low even in the state of power loss. The combination of a high-power motor and a high-capacity battery provides the vehicle with superior power performance, making the vehicle perform well at high speeds and overtaking.
If you are more of a short-distance trip, it is better to consider the pure electric model directly than to choose the range extender. Of course, range-extended hybrid models with low technical thresholds and simple structures may have certain advantages in cost, but this requires car companies to really pass on the cost savings to consumers. However, unfortunately, judging from the pricing of the current market range extender models, it is the plug-in hybrid model that takes into account the dual needs of vehicle performance and economy.