i-HEV and EM-P are the two halves of Geely Holding's 2026 hybrid platform — the system that finally puts the Group on equal footing with BYD's DM-i 5.0. They are not the same architecture: i-HEV is a self-charging full hybrid and short-range PHEV system focused on efficiency, while EM-P is a long-EV-range performance PHEV that powers the Lynk & Co flagship cars. Both rolled out across the Galaxy, Geely Auto, Lynk & Co and Zeekr-aligned ranges in 2026.
i-HEV: the efficiency arm
Announced in April 2026, i-HEV is built around a new Geely-designed engine that the company claims reaches 48.4% thermal efficiency — about 2 percentage points above BYD's Super DM 5.0 figure. Below 4 L/100 km fuel consumption is the headline claim across the launch lineup; a Galaxy Starshine 7 EM-i set a Guinness record at 2.22 L/100 km over 2,000 km of mixed driving.
The hardware mirrors the DM-i layout: a 1.5 L (or 1.5T / 2.0T in larger models) atkinson-cycle engine, a generator and a drive motor mounted in a single E-DHT unit, and a clutch that can connect the engine directly to the wheels at cruise. What is different is the 11-in-1 EDU — a single housing containing engine, generator, motor, three-stage inverter, controller and oil-cooling. The fewer joints, the lower the heat and friction losses.
Three engine sizes are offered, all under the i-HEV badge: a 1.5 L for compact saloons (Galaxy Starshine 6/7), a 1.5T for crossovers (Boyue, Galaxy Starshine 8), and a 2.0T flagship variant for the Galaxy M9 and forthcoming Lynk & Co 12 EM-i. All can run as a pure full hybrid (no plug) or as a short-range PHEV with 70–130 km of CLTC EV range.
EM-P: the performance arm
EM-P is the longer-EV-range, dual-motor, AWD branch — closer in spirit to BYD's DM-p. Where i-HEV uses one drive motor up front, EM-P adds a rear motor, doubles up the battery to 30–40 kWh, and ships in performance-leaning bodies. The Lynk & Co 08 EM-P offers 230 km of CLTC EV range on its 2026 facelift; the Lynk & Co 10 EM-P sedan reaches 523 hp with a 0–100 km/h of 4.3 seconds. The Galaxy M9 long-range and Lynk 09 EM-P SUV use the same drivetrain at lower outputs.
EM-P matters strategically because Geely uses it for the bodies that compete head-on with European premium PHEVs — Audi Q5 e-tron, BMW X3 xDrive30e, Volvo XC60 Recharge. Long EV range plus AWD plus a German-style chassis is the package Western brands have priced at €65,000+; EM-P delivers it under $35,000.
Where each one fits
- i-HEV (efficiency, short EV range): Galaxy Starshine 6, 7, 8; Galaxy E5; new Boyue L; Geely Panda Plus. Buyers who want a Toyota-Prius-level driving experience and Toyota-beating economy.
- EM-P (long EV range, AWD performance): Lynk & Co 08, 09, 10, 12; Galaxy M9; high-end Galaxy Starshine 8. Buyers who plug in nightly, want 200+ km of pure EV driving, and want a fast PHEV that drives like an EV most of the time.
How it stacks up against DM-i
On paper, i-HEV's 48.4% engine efficiency edges DM-i 5.0's 46.06%. In practice, the two are within 0.3 L/100 km of each other on independent tests — well inside the noise of how you drive. Geely's advantage is the corporate footprint: i-HEV ships across Geely Auto, Galaxy, and Lynk & Co simultaneously, hitting more bodies and more price points than any single BYD sub-brand. BYD's advantage remains the Blade Battery and a deeper PHEV-specific software stack tuned over five generations.
For our news coverage the takeaway is simple: when a Galaxy or Lynk & Co model is "EM-i" or "EM-P", it is the same hybrid family explained above — the Group's answer to DM-i and DM-p, on a faster product cycle and across more brands.
