BYD Qin Plus DM-i
A 2.5-year journey with China's best-selling plug-in hybrid — real numbers, real experiences, real talk
The Beginning
I bought this Qin Plus DM-i in March 2022. At that time, oil prices had just started to rise. My daily commute was 38 kilometers one way, and I was driving a 2016 Volkswagen Lavida, spending over 1,400 yuan a month on fuel. My wife suggested we switch to an electric car, but I was hesitant because our residential complex didn't have charging stations, and the property management wouldn't allow installation.
I spent about two months researching on car forums. I really didn't dare to buy a pure electric vehicle — winters here can get as cold as minus fifteen degrees Celsius. I saw forum posts from Northeast China owners saying winter range drops by 40%. My round-trip commute is 76 kilometers, and if the range discount was too severe one day, I'd end up stranded on the road. At the time, there weren't many plug-in hybrid options: Qin Plus DM-i, Song Plus DM-i, and Honda and Toyota hybrids. The Honda and Toyota hybrids couldn't get green license plates, which meant driving restrictions on Tuesdays and Thursdays in our area — immediately ruled out.
The Song Plus DM-i was over 30,000 yuan more expensive than the Qin Plus. I test drove it — it was indeed bigger and more comfortable to sit in. My wife really liked it. But my budget at the time was only 120,000 yuan, and the Song Plus would cost over 150,000 yuan after all fees, which exceeded my budget. The Qin Plus DM-i 55km range version, after discounts, had a base price of 105,800 yuan, exempt from purchase tax, insurance 5,800 yuan, registration 500 yuan — out the door for just over 110,000 yuan.
I remember the day I picked up the car very clearly. The 4S dealership staff told me that fuel consumption would be a bit higher during the break-in period and not to worry. On the drive home, the display showed 6.2L/100km. I thought to myself, this is what they call high?
The First Three Months — Pure Gasoline Mode
For the first three months, I basically never charged the car. Our complex really had no charging stations, and neither did my workplace, so I just ran it purely on gasoline. Many people on the forums said running the Qin Plus DM-i without charging was a waste, but I had no choice at the time. During those three months, I drove 6,200 kilometers, filled up four times, spent 1,680 yuan, and calculated the cost at 27 yuan per 100 kilometers. My previous Lavida cost 52 yuan per 100 kilometers under the same conditions. I told my wife, even without charging, this car was worth it.
Game Changer — Access to Charging
In August 2022, our company moved to a new campus with public charging stations in the underground parking garage at 1.2 yuan per kWh. I started charging twice a week, and each time charging to 80% cost about 18 yuan. From that month on, my monthly vehicle costs dropped to under 400 yuan.
In 2023, I compiled my annual vehicle data. I drove 21,800 kilometers, spent 2,840 yuan on fuel, 1,260 yuan on charging, totaling 4,100 yuan. That's 18.8 yuan per 100 kilometers. I posted this data on the forum, and some people said I was exaggerating. I uploaded screenshots of all my refueling records, and that post ended up with over 300 replies.
Problems Encountered
This car isn't without its issues.
My current car has no major problems — no chassis noise, adequate power, AC heating and cooling both work normally. The only issue is that the center screen response is sometimes half a second slow, apparently due to the chip. The 2022 model uses a chip with mediocre performance. This doesn't affect driving, just occasionally lags when using navigation.
The Complete Cost Breakdown
2.5 Years Total Expenses
Every yuan accounted for — 46,000 kilometers of ownership
Two and a half years total spending: 145,180 yuan, covering 46,000 kilometers, averaging 3.15 yuan per kilometer. My previous Lavida I also calculated — it was 4.8 yuan per kilometer.
I discussed this calculation with my dad. He said you can't calculate car costs this way — you have to factor in depreciation.
I said fine, even if this car is only worth 50,000 yuan in residual value after three years, my three-year cost of ownership would be the purchase price of 112,000 yuan minus 50,000 yuan residual value, plus all expenses — roughly around 100,000 yuan. If I drive 60,000 kilometers, that's still 1.6 yuan per kilometer. The Lavida I bought cost 98,000 yuan, sold for 42,000 yuan, plus four years of fuel, maintenance, and insurance — the per-kilometer cost was 2.3 yuan. My dad had nothing to say after that.
Looking Forward
Now I'm not in a hurry to replace the car. As long as this Qin Plus DM-i doesn't have major problems, I plan to drive it to 100,000 kilometers before reconsidering. Next year I'm planning to replace the driver's seat with a ventilated seat. Summers here are hot, and the original car doesn't have seat ventilation — this is my biggest regret about buying this car. I should have paid extra for the higher trim level at the time. The seat modification will cost about 3,500 yuan; I've already found a shop online.
Some people ask me if I recommend buying the Qin Plus DM-i. I can only speak to my own situation: daily commute of 70+ kilometers, access to charging, not chasing acceleration performance, budget under 120,000 yuan — this car is very suitable. Other people's situations I don't know, and I don't dare to casually recommend.