Geely Galaxy Starship 7 EM-i PHEV system detailed – 46.5% thermal efficiency, 2.67 l/100km, 2,390 km range

Having already revealed the Galaxy Starship 7 last month, Geely has now released initial details about the plug-in hybrid system that powers the car. The second-generation NordThor 2.0 powertrain, badged EM-i, provides the SUV – set to be launched in China on November 4 – with some eyebrow-raising efficiency stats.

Geely claims the EM-i system – a development of the EM-P used in Lynk & Co vehicles – boasts range and fuel efficiency figures that surpass BYD’s fifth-generation Super Dual Mode (DM-i) powertrain. Like the EM-P setup, it uses a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but increased air swirl in the combustion chamber has allowed it to hit a record thermal efficiency of 46.5%, up from the DM-i engine’s 46.06%.

There’s also a new thermal management system that increases warm-up speed by 40%, leading to a further three per cent improvement in fuel efficiency. Geely said it has even developed a next-generation engine with an even higher thermal efficiency of 48.15%, which has already received certification by authorities.

Mated to this engine is the dedicated hybrid transmission (E-DHT) that brings Geely’s 11-in-1 motor technology to PHEVs. It combines the P1 and P3 motors – the latter driving the car – with the transmission and associated electronics. The P3 motor, juiced by an Aegis “short blade” lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, produces 160 kW (218 PS) on its own.

The maximising of efficiency across components – including the world’s first use of a silicon carbide transformer module with 99% efficiency – enables models powered by the EM-i system to achieve a fuel consumption figure of as low as 2.67 litres per 100 km on the CLTC cycle (compared to 2.9 litres per 100 km from BYD’s DM-i powertrain), with the Galaxy Starship 7 rated at 3.75 litres per 100 km.

Even better figures have been recorded in tests conducted with Chinese media. A prototype based on the Galaxy L6 sedan travelled a total of 2,390.5 km on a single battery charge and tank of petrol, with a fuel consumption of 2.62 litres per 100 km. As for the Galaxy Starship 7, members of the media achieved an average of 3.2 litres per 100 km over a 196 km drive, comprising of 75% highway and 25% urban driving.

The Galaxy Starship 7, essentially the PHEV version of the Galaxy E5 and Proton eMas 7 (stylised as e.MAS 7), could enter Malaysia as Proton’s first plug-in hybrid. The national carmaker has already trademarked the eMas 7 PHEV name, increasing the likelihood of the car coming here. Are you excited? Sound off in the comments after the jump.

GALLERY: Geely Galaxy Starship 7

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Learn more: Geely Galaxy Starship 7, Proton eMas 7 PHEV