Are Extended-Range EVs a Game Changer or a Dead-End Technology?

OP=ED by Transport and Environment

July 17, 2025

After the battery is depleted, EREVs consume an average of 6.4 litres per 100 km — no better than a conventional petrol SUV, new analysis finds.

The European electric car market has entered a new growth phase this year. Boosted by the EU’s new car CO₂ targets, which require manufacturers to sell more electric vehicles, European carmakers have increased EV sales by 45% in the first quarter alone. Dozens of new affordable electric cars below €25,000 are hitting the market.

Yet, amid this momentum, an old hybrid technology is making a comeback: the extended-range electric vehicle. EREVs have been heralded as game-changing, but are they a genuine breakthrough or just the next overhyped distraction, like hydrogen cars before them?

A new, revolutionary technology? Not quite.

EREVs are essentially a ‘hybrid’ powertrain, similar to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). They combine a small to medium-sized battery with a combustion engine — not to power the wheels, but to act as a generator when the battery runs out. Unlike conventional PHEVs, where both the engine and electric motor can drive the wheels (a parallel system), EREVs use a series configuration: only the electric motor drives the wheels.

This concept isn’t new but early attempts in the 2010s were discontinued as battery ranges improved and charging infrastructure expanded. Volkswagen still doubts EREVs’ relevance, at least for the European market.

China’s EREV boom: a misleading promise

Recently, China has seen a new wave of EREVs. In 2024, extended-range electric vehicles experienced significant growth with sales reaching approximately 1.2 million units — a 79% increase compared to the previous year. Driven by generous incentives under the “New Energy Vehicle” (NEV) classification, EREVs have become one of the fastest-growing segments in China’s NEV market — though their sales are still three times lower than PHEVs and five times less than BEVs.

In Europe, however, EREVs remain rare. Only two models are currently available: the Leapmotor C10 REEV, a midsize SUV from a Chinese brand partly owned by Stellantis, and the Mazda MX-30 R-EV, a small SUV. Such vehicles are marketed with eye-catching figures — total driving ranges of up to 950 km and CO₂ emissions as low as 10 g/km.

But look under the bonnet, and you will see these claims are misleading: they combine electric range with the fuel-powered range, with most of the impressive distance driven by a combustion engine. The actual electric range of the two European EREVs is 145 km for the C10 and 85 km for the MX-30.

Chinese market data tells a similar story. T&E’s analysis of around 20 top-selling Chinese EREV models shows an average electric range of 185 km — likely lower in real-world driving. Once the battery is depleted, these vehicles — often bulky SUVs — consume an average of 6.4 litres per 100 km, no better than a conventional petrol SUV. However, in April 2025, a few new EREVs were launched in China with higher ranges (the Luxeed R7 EREV with 284 km electric range and the VW ID.Era concept SUV with 300 km electric range).

EREVs are not exempt from the PHEV shortfalls

On paper, EREVs and PHEVs appear to offer the best of both worlds: the ability to drive electric for daily trips, with the reassurance of a backup engine for longer journeys. But in practice, the climate benefit depends entirely on how often the vehicle is charged and driven in electric mode.

Real-world emissions data from PHEVs in Europe show they emit 3.6 times more CO₂ than official test results suggest — largely because many drivers don’t plug them in. Unless this behavioural pattern changes dramatically, EREVs risk repeating the same failure and would end up driving the vast majority of kilometers on the fossil engine.

Staying the full electric course, away from distractions

The case for combustion engine “backups” is quickly disappearing. With EV ranges increasing, more affordable models entering the market, and public charging infrastructure scaling up, the need for a fuel-based safety net is fading fast. In the coming decades, the idea of refuelling a small petrol tank with expensive, scarce e-fuels or biofuels will seem not just outdated but absurd. Electricity will remain cheaper, chargers more widespread, and plugging in far more convenient than hunting for niche refuelling stations.

EREVs, like PHEVs, could have a role as a time-limited hybrid technology until 2035 — but only if designed and used properly and only if they replace petrol cars, not pure EVs. If poorly charged, or if they deter consumers from buying full EVs, they become a climate liability and an economic burden for consumers.

Europe must stay focused on its strategic goal: breaking free from oil dependence and combustion engine pollution. The path forward is not halfway solutions or rebranded hybrids, but a resilient, clean, and fully electric mobility system.

The EREV is not a revolution. It’s a costly detour, and the EV transition can no longer afford distractions or dead ends.

By Lucien Mathieu, Director, Cars, T&E. Op-ed