Range-extended EVs face cost, complexity hurdles toward higher adoption

Range-extended EVs offer advantages of both a hybrid and a battery electric vehicle (BEV), but also bring along the issues of higher cost and complexity. While the technology is expected to grow in the future, it will be mostly driven by Japanese automakers

The automotive industry has experimented with several forms of electrification, trying to find the right balance between development, vehicle cost, customer needs, and the operability in the real world. While the vehicles with the most basic level of electrification are deemed mild-hybrids, whereby the electric motor only assists the internal combustion engine (ICE) with propulsion assist and coasting functionality, the most electrified are full battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV), which are capable of complete zero-emission driving.