Hyundai developing extended-range electric cars, but sees no future in mild hybrids
Range extenders use electric motors to drive their wheels, but have an engine to charge their batteries on the go...
Hyundai could soon sell extended-range electric cars in Europe, according to Manfred Harrer – the President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division.
In addition to fully electric cars (EVs), the Korean company already offers mild hybrids (which deliver a small amount of electrical power to assist the petrol engine), conventional hybrids (able to run purely on electricity for short bursts) and plug-in hybrids (which can travel for many miles without emitting anything from their exhaust pipes).
Range extenders, however, feel quite different to all of those alternatives, because they use electric motors to drive their wheels (like an EV) while still offering the reassurance of a petrol engine to generate extra electricity when battery power runs low.
“We are developing this technology for the US market first, and it’s not far out,” Harrer said. “But to my eyes, it’s very competitive [when compared with other types of electrified vehicles], so could appeal in Europe too. Crucially, it brings all of the advantages of an EV: instant toque, low noise and vibration, and a very solid body structure.
“The legacy [in Europe] is plug-in hybrids,” Harrer continued, “but we’re asking if this is the right direction going forwards or if we should introduce these eREVs (extended-range electric vehicles). I’m interested to hear opinions on this.”
It should be noted that Hyundai isn’t the first brand to develop eREVs, and the technology has never previously proven especially popular. But while UK car buyers can already get it in the Nissan Qashqai and Nissan X-Trail – and were previously offered it in the BMW i3 and Mazda MX-30 (below) – there have been mitigating factors for the slow uptake in each case.
The range extender versions of the Qashqai and X-Trail (badged ePower) initially suffered from poor real-world efficiency. And although the i3 and MX-30 were much better in this respect, both models were small and impractical.
While Harer is enthusiastic about eREVs, he feels another type of electrified car is on the way out.
“I honestly think we are at the end of the life cycle for the mild hybrid,” he said. “We have this technology at Hyundai, and it’s played its part in bridging the gap to EVs. But with the emissions regulations that are coming in 2029/2030, I don't see it having much of a future. Full hybrid, yes. Mild hybrid, not so much.”
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