EREVs combine electric drive with onboard generators to extend total driving range.
EU 2035 emissions framework creates limited regulatory opportunity for low-CO2 hybrids.
Cost savings must offset billion-dollar platform investments to justify production scale.
Extended-range electric vehicles are drawing renewed attention from global manufacturers evaluating alternatives to high-cost full-EV platforms. Interest is emerging in Europe and North America.
At the last Shanghai auto show, several automakers outlined concrete plans involving extended-range models. One of them was Volkswagen, which presented the ID Era concept, developed with joint-venture partner SAIC. The production version, expected as the ID Era 9X, combines a WLTP-estimated battery range of roughly 300 km (approx. 250 km EPA) with a fuel-powered generator that extends the total driving distance beyond 1,000 km (850 km EPA).
North America is also evaluating the concept. Ram will introduce the 1500 Ramcharger extended-range pickup this year. GM and Ford will likely follow suit. Now that the F-150 Lightning has been discontinued, the Blue Oval will need a more advanced electrified alternative than the current hybrid F-150.
Unlike plug-in hybrids, EREVs rely solely on electric motors to drive the wheels. A combustion engine operates only as a generator when the battery charge drops, allowing for smaller battery packs and lower vehicle mass. That said, range bragging rights will continue to be important. For example, the Ramcharger features a still large 92-kWh pack.
In Europe, the only EREV currently on sale is produced by Leapmotor, partly owned by Stellantis. Its C10 model posts WLTP emissions of 38 grams per kilometre. That figure is significant as the European Union works toward a 2035 framework requiring fleet emissions to fall to 10% of 2021 levels, when averages stood near 115 g/km. The revised regulation permits combustion engines beyond 2035 under defined conditions.
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Additional European programs are advancing. Renault, through its Horse Powertrain venture with Geely, is engineering compact range-extender modules for third-party platforms. BMW is testing an EREV variant of the iX5 alongside supplier ZF Friedrichshafen.
Consultancies see a cost argument. McKinsey & Company estimates that smaller batteries can reduce powertrain production expenses by up to US$6,000 ($8,200 CDN) compared with BEVs.
Not all automakers are convinced. Mercedes-Benz discontinued internal EREV programs, citing added complexity and limited long-term advantage. Advocacy group Transport & Environment has warned that replacing BEVs with range extenders risks delaying full electrification.
Development timelines further complicate decisions. McKinsey calculates that if a manufacturer invests roughly US$1 billion in an EREV platform and captures $3,000 in savings per vehicle, volumes of approximately 1,000,000 units would be required to justify the expenditure.
The reality is that, for one, the North American market is not convinced that full EVs are the way. As such, and despite costs, automakers will need to adapt to demand, and EREVs may turn out to be the bridge to EVs that PHEVs were once thought to be.
Source: Automotive News
