• BYD says its new hybrid powertrain system lets cars go 1,250 miles without refueling or charging.

• That’s nearly twice the range of some rival hybrids in the US.

• Hybrid popularity has surged as EVs remain expensive and largely unprofitable.

Driving 1,250 miles without stopping to fill up? That’s a pipe dream for any car on the market right now, whether it’s powered by gas or electricity.

But the Chinese EV maker BYD says it can happen thanks to upgrades in its new hybrid powertrain system, which is set to launch on two recently revealed midsize sedans, Bloomberg reported. It’s the equivalent of about 81 miles per gallon, more than three times the US fuel-economy average for model-year-2022 cars. It’s also about 500 more miles of range than a hybrid 2023 Lexus ES gets, which last year topped Kelley Blue Book’s list of longest-range hybrids.

A leap this big in hybrid technology would boost an already fervent interest in these cars, with their impressive fuel economies, lower up-front costs, and mitigated range anxiety. The models are wildly popular with both automakers and consumers as a bridge between traditional internal-combustion engines and fully electric models, especially as electric-vehicle sales plateau in many markets.

In BYD’s case, hybrids make up the majority of its models sold, Reuters reported.

Toyota, a relative latecomer to EVs with a plethora of hybrid options, has seen its strategy vindicated by this softening of the market. Ford said in April that it would expand its hybrid offerings as the segment helped cushion EV losses. GM also plans to bring more hybrid models to North America in response to changing demand.

Just don’t expect to buy a BYD car in the US anytime soon.

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