How does DM-i compare to EV in real world scenarios?

They are good cars. I own a byd song plus 26 luxury model. It drives on 60 L of gasoline 91 purity alongside 80km electric(100km isn’t true number)! Approximately one full tank along 80 km can drive up to 1000 km; however, on paper it is 690/650 km depending on your model. Mine 650 km on paper, but I’m getting 1000~1250km. I would recommend making sure to have at least a single phase outlet where you live to charge your car while parking at home; otherwise, you are just buying another gasoline car with maybe PHEV functionality. It charges itself while driving but I would encourage you to look for an outlet at least a single phase or an offer for a charging port depending on where you live such as type 2, CCS2, etc.

I have a BYD song plus AWD DMI which I bought a year ago. I did a lot do research before buying it and I continue to learn more about it as well. Basically I feel it's a transition technology until EV infrastructure is fully developed. It comes with all the problems of an engine drive train (gearbox, transmission, engine oil, etc) plus additional battery drive train maintenance as well. The general consensus is that If you can, buy an EREV/REEV hybrid instead of a PHEV. it's a much better truly electric Hybrid compared to a PHEV. No doubt that these DMi engines give good value and range but after the warranty expires, we will have more maintenance issues to deal with. A REEV/EREV is basically a EV with a generator to recharge the battery once it's running low. Also.. if you do have the option of home charging, you should absolutely consider a full EV, good luck

Ho, ho, hoo... PHEV and EV aren't straight comparable in my opinion, in mttern of, should I go EV or PHEV. As well as comparing it with traditional petrol/diesel. I think the decission starts far before. But fist at all, it matters if you buy the car as person or commercially use (Commercial I will not further care I my explanation below, due of a lot advantages, starting from discount, taxation, e.g. they have less risk as private, lease it and after 3 years back with it, what cares) ....private * will it be leased, financed or cash payed * which car in comparison will it replace, any second car available in the house hold, what kind of * private wall box available * solar energy system or even battery at home * If it's the only car, than how much holidays with the car or trips one way longer than 400km. For me PHEV was not a decision to be comape to EV. For me PHEV was in comparison with traditional engines, should I stay diesel or go PHEV. However DMI simple explained, BYD is by design focused on EV platforms, so yes DMI's basic is the EV main engine with an straight transmission, the petrol engine is range extender or generator. As I know similar technology only available in Europe in one model of Volvo and one of Geely. However I can not confirm, that the engine is loud or noise, yes of course it's noticable compared to a pure EV (that's not difficult), but for sure not louder than any other petrol, diesel or conventional Hybrid (compared to the actual VW Tiguan) And let's talk about the nex generation hybrid in VW Tiguan or Audi Q5. Those cars from size are competing with Seal U. The hybrid last about similar, but less than Seal U DmI comfort, EV only range. Tiguan here withe same Konfiguration as Seal U 69.900,- € Audi Q5 75.6500,-€ Seal U DMI comfort 39.900 So for the more money of about 30.000€ you can buy fully installed 22kwp solar panels on 3 roofs 2 DC/AC (12kw/6kw) converters 20 kw BYD in House batteries 1 emergency power converter .... So I'm a private person, my money comes from my pocket and I have no chance thinking about leasing or financing, that's money going to the bank. I keep cars 6-10 years. I'm super happy driving all the week EV only, when leaving the city I switch to hybrid (SOC save depending where going 40-65%). I drove the last 20 years Audis, Seats, Mercedes and my heart still is on this brands, it took myself 2 month researches, in all perspectives convincing my brain to the brand BYD. The final convincing testdrive, was necessary for the last 10%. I drove the car 20min and set afterwards 45 minutes in the car check-in all details. We are all happy in the end, and any other decision towards Tiguan or Q5 hybrid, would have been from the money wise a selfish towards the family. If the Seal U DmI comfort (125 EV only range) wouldn't have come out on 1st of may, we would have purchased a diesel again. Sorry for the long story

This is on the spot. I think I gonna pull the trigger on dm-i next week. For the same reason: I need daily ev range of 70km, I need to be able to drive for holidays for 800km/day with no stops (or stops without looking for charging station)). And when you consider price distribution in let's say 5 years - it's decent car. It just European mindset is still strong on ' China It is cheap and poor quality's'. Which I think is wrong. My solar is China made, so my AC, charger, phone, and most of my home appliances. Only thing I would check in OP case - whos gonna be taking care of warranty in your region as in most cases it will be sub-contractor of BYD in your local market.

>I need to be able to drive for holidays for 800km/day with no stops Really "need" or more likely "want"? Keep in mind: DM-i cars need a yearly inspection (e.g. oil gets changed yearly!) The EV versions only need a service every 2 years. Many DM-i owners also report that you need to "plan ahead" if you drive longer distances and then need to overcome some altitude/drive into areas with mountains. Because with an empty battery you only have the power of the "sometimes" weak petrol engine. Therfore you need to change the mode quite a distance before into the "also charge the battery"-mode, so that you have some energy in the battery to use with the electric motror when you then need to climb up the mountains.

How does DM-i have gearbox/transmission maintenance when it's driven primarily by electric motors?

it's NOT driven primarily by electric. It has a small battery unlike full BEV, The engine powers the wheels when the battery gets low. You are confusing between PHEV and EREV. The 2nd kind of hybrid known as EREV/REEVs is ONLY driven by electric, that's why no transmission, no gearbox, the small engine acts only as a generator to recharge the battery

I have the "basic version" with the 18.3kwh and 54L Fuel Tank. I actually get out roughly 100km on EV-Mode but I'm a gentle driver (boring) and the speed limit here is mostly 100km/h. The DM-I concept is mostly called a REEV, a range extender EV, means, the electric motors are the main traction motors and the ICE basically feeds the batteries. So yes, it mostly drives/feels like a EV even in HEV-Mode. There are some items I don't like so much on the BYD (which would be easy to solve), but everything which has to do with the engine "hardware" (motors, battery, ICE,..) works pretty perfect. Nothing to complain about. Even the bit noisy engine, you might know from a Toyota Hybrid is here, will not come up here. If you drive a bit faster under load, yepp, you can hear the ICE, but in the city cruising: nope. I can feel it in the meantime, but a passenger not used to the car wouldn't notice. So for me it's a "ok" car, don't be afraid of "chinese", the building quality is ok. But there are a couple of things I don't like so much (on the other hand, I wouldn't pay double the price on a PHEV from Toyota or Volvo) But I figured out for me, that my anxiety regarding EV-range is stupid. I drive 90% of all trips I did so far in EV, so a range of 100km is sufficient for mostly everything. The other 10% I had to use the ICE, BUT with a real EV I would have made it. I would now buy a EV instead of a PHEV.

The whole thing is a combined unit. There is the ICE with it's oil system and then the e-motors with transmission (and its power electronics and separate cooling loop). Here in BRazil, BYD changes the engine oil every 12.000km or yearly and do a big service (all fluids replaced) every 4 years. I think, it's a bit too conservative, but ok. I will do it for the warranty.

You need to plan a bit, that's true, but I recently tried that Szenario and drover everything in "auto". In the middle of my journey was some hills, around 5% for 20km, so 1000m altitude gain in total. I arrived with maybe 40% SOC at the bottom and kept driving 80-100km/h. After maybe 4-5km the car realized, that there is a ongoing climb and the battery will not cover that maintaining the speed. So he took the ICE in some kind of high-speed mode and started to charge the battery and supply power to the drive drain. So it works, even so it was a bit noisy.

DMI compared to a traditional engine, yes you need services yearly. I won't compare to EV as I said. Yes I need I personally want to be independent on long trips, I want to decide when to go for a piss or need a break, not being depending either that or that, because if charging. I can't confirm last at all, hybrid save SOC mode 40-60, mountain or no mountain you never run out of EV einige Power. As I said, in my opinion it's wrong to compare or decide between hybrid and EV. The time you think about EV might be an option for you, take it. Hybrid is to be compared with traditional engines.

I tried Auto first week, actually after that I stopped using it. In HEV is always in SOC save 65, depending on the trip I modify it. I don't charge anywhere else except home (my own solar grid or provider). Next trip will be around 330 one way, motorway highway. I will leave it in SOC save 70, drive to my destination, probably arrive like last time with about SOC 60-70. When leaving back home I will go for SOC 40, back 330km. However it might hold 30-40 depending on speeds. On the end I might even switch to EV to bring down the average fuel consumption over the complete trip, because I know at home I will anyways charge full again However good luck to all of you however you decide

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This is incorrect, dmi and reev are two technologies completely different. A dmi car can work as a reev car but only for a short time and on specific conditions.

I don't think it is about that only, how long you drive without stopping, but if where you live have the infrastructure for an electric car. For example in Mexico I have an electric and a phev, and o love my ev and I wouldn't need the phev, but to drive where my family lives to spend holidays, is a 3 or 4 hours drive and there are no chargers at all at all in the road and even in the city there are only slow chargers, level 2, so an ev is not recommended not even viable.

Could definitely be need, depending where you live. In some countries road could not be the safest place to be one is dark so you my need to be required to drive none stop 800km for your own safety.

I had Toyota CHR before and i sold it to buy Seal U Dmi , BYD is better in every single aspect.

Nope, it’s correct. You just have those EVs in mind with a added, mostly very small ICE. The DM-I concept is a more of a REEV than a conventional Hybrid. The main traction engine is electric and gets feed by the battery or the generator driven by the ICE. It drives and feels mostly like a EV. Only on the highway in a certain speed range the ICE can be tied directly to the wheels. But there is no transmission or something, like you would find on a conventional Hybrid.

You should do a little bit more investigation about dmi

Why? His explanation about the DM-i was pretty accurate.

You are wrong. First thing, dmi doesn’t have a gearbox. The car is driven primarily an most of the time by the electric motor, having the ICE working only as a generator when needed, and occasionally, it can connect directly to the wheels on cruise speed. So it does have a single gear for that but not really a gearbox.

My brain dump on the matter: I love my Seal U DM-i. I love the fact that it has the feel and the noise of an EV due to the battery being the main driver, while still giving me the comfort of a petrol cars range. I must admit, I do find myself charging it a lot more than i thought i would, but that’s because I don’t like it getting below 65% and i aim to drive it as an EV as much as possible. Colder months are really hammering my battery range so it’s a charge every other day at the moment. I have noticed my electricity bill increase considerably in winter because the solar panels aren’t doing much in cloudy weather with a low sun. Ensuring you switch the car to PHEV mode when hitting a motorway/dual carriage way really helps with battery range for the eventual town driving. If i had the cash for a wall charger and could enjoy the cheaper Octopus energy tariff, i think I’d go for a full EV next time. Purely because the way i maintain it is the same as if it was an EV, but with far more charging due to the small battery.

Awesome. Thank you for sharing. Just curious, do you live in a place North America where everything is big and distant, or do you live in places like Europe where most things are closer?

So I live in England and rarely do long journeys. Most journeys are 2 miles to my kids nursery. My wife does drive 2 hours to her works HQ once a month though and the car works great for her.