Large battery range extenders give customers the flexibility they need to feel confident making the switch.
Earlier this year, Stellantis-backed Leapmotor launched a plug-in hybrid model in China with what it said is the world’s largest battery yet to be installed in a car that is also powered by a combustion engine.
The D19 large SUV comes with an 80.3 kWh battery supplied by CATL, larger than those installed in most all-electric cars. On the rare occasions when the claimed electric range of 500 kilometers is exceeded, a 1.5-litre petrol engine joins forces.
The UK should take note. The EU has already opened the door to these so-called extended-range electric vehicles with its proposal to relax its CO₂ emissions reduction targets for 2035 to 90% instead of 100%.
Of course, automakers could go all out on a handful of V8 engines, and some certainly will. But others will use the new leeway to appeal to range-conscious buyers with essentially electric models that also include a small gasoline engine.
The UK should consider doing something similar as it reassesses the ZEV mandate.
The trend of extended-range electric vehicles emerged in China and largely remains there. Models like the Lotus Eletre
“PHEVs used to be the worst of both worlds,” a customer of the new Geely Galaxy M9 large SUV, with its 41.5 kWh battery, told Autocar. “Now is the best.”
Global premium brands like JLR would welcome broad legislative approval for extended range electric vehicles. Right now, planners at these companies are desperately searching for that powertrain that can function globally in a fractured world. The big question is what will happen in the United States once Donald Trump’s last presidential term ends at the end of January 2029. That might seem like a long depressing road for anyone seeking global stability, but it isn’t if a new model is being planned now.
A possible future Democratic administration would be expected to reset the country’s climate commitments, which would require electrified solutions again. That could explain why JLR has reportedly frozen the planned replacement of the Defender.
Having the UK and EU signal tacit approval of extended-range electric vehicles would bring some relief to planners trying to attract European, Chinese and potentially American buyers.
There are still problems. Currently, Chinese electric vehicles with extended range and larger batteries are huge: the size of a Range Rover. Batteries are also improving to the point that an additional motor is becoming superfluous. But as a global vehicle, they offer the best hope.
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