Among the new brands in the automotive industry, there has been a constant battle over the technical roadmap of pure electric/extended-range hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Public opinion is more unanimous in favor of extended-range hybrids, which are the products of the transition period, and pure electric vehicles are the most valuable development direction.
However, actual market sales have proved that, at least for now, range-extended hybrids and plug-in hybrids are more popular with consumers. In March, it can be seen that the top four new power brands Wenjie, Ideal, Leap and Deep Blue are all main extended-range electric vehicles. This phenomenon not only demonstrates the market potential of range-extender electric vehicles, but also reflects consumer preferences for such vehicles.
This can't help but remind people of last year's Weibo statement by Li Xiang, the head of the ideal, "China's independent brands, car companies that are still insisting on multi-gear PHEVs, will switch to the technical route of range extender in the next one or two years, and this judgment can be judged in 2025." At that time, Li Xiang's words caused a lot of controversy, and many people felt that his position was the decision of his thoughts, because the ideal system at that time was all extended-range hybrid products. However, judging from the sales results in March, I have to admire Li Xiang's accurate grasp of China's auto market and consumer demand.
Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) have unique advantages over battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). For users, extended-range electric vehicles offer a more flexible way to use energy. When the battery is fully charged, the vehicle can run like an electric vehicle, providing a quiet, smooth driving experience, and can greatly reduce driving costs (compared to a gasoline vehicle) as a pure electric vehicle, and when the battery is low, the internal combustion engine acts as a range extender to generate electricity, extending the driving range and eliminating the range anxiety that a pure electric vehicle can bring.
In addition, range-extender electric vehicles are often equipped with larger battery packs, which means that users can enjoy the low cost and high comfort of pure electric drive in most everyday use scenarios. In contrast, PHEV models are often unable to assemble batteries of the same capacity due to the limitations of mechanical components such as gearboxes, resulting in rapid start-up of the internal combustion engine under high power demand, which is not in line with the all-electric driving habits of some users.
Although some car companies adhere to the multi-gear PHEV technology route, judging from the current sales situation, extended-range electric vehicles are gradually becoming the new favorite of consumers.
In fact, to put it bluntly, for users, they are more concerned about whether the vehicle is easy to use and whether it can save money, rather than the advanced level of technology. The extended-range electric vehicles that can be on the green card and can usually drive purely electric meet these core needs.