To most people, there doesn't seem to be much difference between a "hybrid" and a "range extender": after all, both can use a petrol-electric hybrid, switching between fuel and electricity to improve driving efficiency.
However, it is only after we have truly understood and experienced them that we can understand the essential difference between them.
As a result, many people suddenly realize that they have not made a wiser choice after accidentally buying a car, and even regret it.
Why is this so? What are the key factors that these people are overlooking and how do we, as consumers, choose between "hybrid" and "extended range"?
Today, I'm going to use an article to explain this to you.
First of all, let's talk about the past and present life of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
01 The past and present of plug-in hybrid vehicles
When it comes to plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), the earliest concepts date back to the end of the 19th century.
At that time, it was still the world of trams, and in order to solve the problem of tram range, Lohner-Porsche produced the Mixte Hybrid in 1899.
This vehicle combines a gasoline engine and an electric motor and allows for external charging, which is the basic concept of modern PHEVs.
However, it wasn't until the beginning of the 21st century that plug-in hybrid technology really began to gain traction and gradually evolved.
After all, for a long time, there was a surplus of oil resources.
It wasn't until the crisis emerged that everyone began to think about how to save energy – and plug-in hybrid cars began to shine again.
However, the real turning point was in 2012, when the development of modern PHEVs began to mature with the introduction of Toyota's Prius Plug-in Hybrid.
Many car companies have seen the superiority of this power method, and as a result, more PHEV models have appeared on the market.
Because compared to pure oil, it has a good pure electric range, in the case of urban travel, especially economical, compared to pure electricity, there is a fuel system, can directly drive the car, for long-distance travel.
To put it bluntly, the design of PHEVs focuses more on the flexible use of a combination of "internal combustion engine" and "electric motor" to optimize energy consumption and increase range.
It is a true hybrid car, with both gasoline and electric roles.
After talking about plug-in hybrid vehicles, let's talk about the history of extended-range vehicles.
02 The history of the extended-range car
When we talk about the extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), we are actually talking about a relatively new concept that plays a special role in the world of electric vehicles.
Because compared with plug-in hybrids, the emergence of extended-range vehicles is not to solve the problem of fuel consumption, but to solve the "range anxiety" of pure electric vehicles.
To put it bluntly, the core design philosophy of the extended-range car is that electric drive is preferred, but equipped with an internal combustion engine as a "range extender", which starts when the battery is depleted and supplies power to the electric motor instead of directly driving the wheels.
This design allows the extended-range electric vehicle to continue driving even when the power is exhausted, greatly extending the driving range.
Still, the concept is not unprecedented.
In fact, as early as the 90s of the 20th century, the automotive industry began to explore solutions that could extend the range of electric vehicles.
However, it wasn't until the launch of the Chevrolet Volt in 2010 that the range extender technology began to move towards real commercialization.
But interestingly, from a global perspective, the market share of range extension is not high.
Only in China, driven by Li Auto, the extended range has begun to move towards the "altar" and has been accepted and promoted by more and more car companies.
So is it better to have a range-extended car, or is it appropriate to plug in a hybrid car?
03 How should ordinary people choose?
In this regard, there is no one that is particularly good, and it has its own advantages, and it is important to choose the most suitable car for you according to the difference between the two.
To put it bluntly, from an economic point of view, plug-in hybrids will be more excellent - although the appearance of both cities is similar, once they enter high-speed conditions, the difference will come out.
After all, when traveling long distances, extended-range vehicles have an additional energy conversion process and are not directly driven by the internal combustion engine – so the difference in high-speed fuel consumption is often greater.
But from the point of view of intelligence, the extended-range car is more suitable.
After all, it's more like an electric car than a plug-in hybrid, and most of the intelligent systems rely on electric drives.
In such a situation, its accuracy and timeliness are often better than plug-in hybrids, which is why some models with better intelligent driving are extended-range vehicles.
Of course, in terms of reliability, plug-in hybrids are more complex and have simpler range extensions, so the failure rate of the former may be greater than that of the latter.
Of course, this is not absolute, it still depends on the technical level and maturity of the car company - it can only be said that from the perspective of innate conditions, it should be so.
All in all, the pursuit of higher intelligence, the range of the car may be a better choice, on the contrary, the pursuit of better economy, lower fuel consumption, plug-in hybrid is often more suitable.