BYD has unveiled several technologies to improve fuel efficiencies by greater than 20 percent in its entire 2014 vehicle line-up during the recent Shanghai Auto Show. The “Green Hybrid” initiative with “Insta-Pure” cabin filtering systems and were well aligned with this year’s Auto Show theme – "innovation, better life".

There are several new features tied to the “Green Hybrid” initiative; first BYD becomes the first vehicle OEM to implement the higher-efficiency 48VDC vehicle voltage platforms using BYD’s internally developed Iron-Phosphate batteries (versus older heavy-metal-laden, 12VDC Lead-Acid technologies). According to the company, this new technology allows the battery life to be extended to the expected life of the car. Vehicles transition to all-LED lighting, electronic parking systems, hybrid and regenerative braking, idle start-stop energy management, automatic engine starts, low rolling resistance and advanced aero-dynamic designs.

The 48VDC systems are not hindered by the line/harness power losses experienced with normal lower-voltage systems (saving important energy for batteries). BYD has also implemented low-voltage, large-torque, double-winding motor technologies for battery-acceleration-assist and regenerative braking. These changes have been shown to save as much as 1.5 litres of fuel/ 100km (on a 30 mpg car, that’s as much as a 7 mpg improvement), according to the company.

BYD’s “Insta-Pure” cabin filtering technology helps protect drivers and passengers from dangerous city particulate matter up to 2.5 micrometers in size, by quickly rotating cabin air, scrubbing and filtering it, all in less than 3-5 minutes, according to the automaker. The first production vehicles launching with this advanced cabin purification system are the new BYD S6 Premier models – which debuted at this year’s show. This level-4 purification technology is integrated into the vehicle’s air conditioning system and detects the inside and outside particulate matter levels, triggering auto-air-filtering equipment, sterilizing, deodorizing and purifying all PM2.5 levels to below 12. This technology not only gives consumer families a cleaner driving sphere, but also provides a feasible scheme for improving all urban environments.