Flat and Furious: BYD’s Ingenious 2.0-Liter Hybrid Engine Powers Up

BYD has released an in-depth video detailing the teardown of its new 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed turbo engine. Compared to traditional inline engines, the flat configuration offers significantly reduced height and better suppression of inherent vibrations, which improves noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) metrics. The engine was first deployed in the plug-in hybrid BYD Yangwang U7. This two-stroke opposed engine was specially developed for hybrid mode on the e4 platform: its main function is to generate electricity for the electric drive. However, under certain conditions, it can deliver torque directly to the rear axle. According to BYD, the entire system develops a maximum power of 272 horsepower (about 203 kW) and torque output of 280 lb-ft. BYD Photo To optimize compactness and quietness, the engine uses a dry sump lubrication system, a special oil circulation control architecture, and a cooling system adapted to the flat layout. Additionally, the engine includes various measures to reduce noise, vibrations, and harshness, such as a multi-layer construction of the end caps and a dual timing drive system. According to BYD, at idle and under low load, the engine’s noise level is only 1 dB higher than that of electric motors, making it almost inaudible in everyday driving. BYD Photo The camshaft pulley cover has a sandwich structure to reduce mechanical noise. BYD emphasizes that this power unit was designed with a compact placement in mind in the U7’s front compartment. The low-profile design, with a reported engine height of only 16.5 inches, allows BYD to save space in the front cabin while maintaining a low center of gravity. BYD Photo This opposed engine is used to enable advanced driving modes, such as ‘crab walk’ and on-the-spot turns, thanks to individual wheel motors that can be controlled independently. BYD also highlights that the engine’s output power can be dynamically adjusted depending on the battery level.