There's a New Boxer Engine... From China?

Known mostly for its electric vehicles, BYD recently shifted focus to its electrified DM-i powertrains. This technology combines electric and gasoline motors to deliver low fuel consumption and driving ranges of more than 620 miles (1,000 km).

Now, the Chinese automaker is preparing to take things a step further by blending the electric and combustion worlds to create an extended-range electric powertrain—with a touch of nostalgia. Believe it or not, a boxer engine will serve as the generator to recharge the traction battery.

This kind of setup wouldn’t be unexpected coming from an automaker like Porsche or Subaru, but seeing it associated with BYD is more surprising. Even so, there are solid reasons the company chose a boxer engine for an electric vehicle.

Compared with traditional inline engines, the flat layout lowers the center of gravity and improves driving dynamics. It also uses a dry-sump lubrication system to reduce size and noise, along with a custom oil-circulation design and an optimized cooling system tailored to the opposed-cylinder configuration. According to BYD, under idle and low-load conditions, the engine is only 1 decibel louder than an electric motor—in other words, practically inaudible.

Yangwang U7

Photo by: Yangwang

The new turbo 2.0-liter boxer engine was developed specifically to act as a range extender for electric powertrains—more accurately, series hybrids—built on the e4 platform. Its primary role is to act as a generator to recharge the battery. However, BYD says that under certain conditions, the boxer can also drive the rear axle directly, delivering 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.

This engine is initially intended for the Yangwang U7, a sedan more than 17.0 feet long from BYD’s premium brand, unveiled in China in early 2025 with a starting price of around $88,500 (¥628,000) for the plug-in version.

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