【Haichuan Teahouse】How is the extended-range hybrid in the transition phase?
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An extended-range hybrid vehicle is a car that uses an electric motor to drive the wheels and an engine to charge the battery. The engine is not used for driving; instead, it consumes gasoline to generate electricity. The electricity produced by the engine is stored in the vehicle’s battery and supplied to the motor while the vehicle is in motion. One of the most important indicators for evaluating the quality of vehicle technology is efficiency (energy consumption). In low to medium speed operating conditions, the overall efficiency of a range-extended hybrid system is higher compared to that of a gasoline vehicle. However, in high-speed driving conditions, the overall efficiency of extended-range vehicles is lower than that of gasoline vehicles; the higher the speed, the lower the overall efficiency. Therefore, for passenger vehicles that need to cover low/mid/high speed ranges and have complex usage scenarios, extended-range hybrid systems are not the optimal solution. In the current new energy market, apart from extended-range hybrid systems, the common forms of energy supply include pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Compared to traditional gasoline vehicles, pure electric vehicles have lower operating costs and maintenance expenses, offer improved driving comfort, and produce less noise. However, pure electric vehicles have issues related to range, charging convenience, and safety concerns. Plug-in hybrid vehicles consume less fuel compared to gasoline vehicles, and they offer better performance, handling, and comfort than gasoline vehicles of the same class. However, plug-in hybrid vehicles have a too short range on electric power alone, requiring frequent charging. If charging is inconvenient, the cost-effectiveness will **decrease, after all, plug-in hybrid vehicles have the additional burden of heavy batteries and generators. Plug-in hybrid vehicles come equipped with two driving systems, which makes them more complex than pure electric vehicles or conventional gasoline cars. As a result, their price is much higher than that of gasoline cars or pure electric vehicles in the same category, and their maintenance costs are also higher than those of gasoline cars.
Compared to mainstream pure electric vehicles, there are not many models available in the range-extended electric vehicle category, mainly because this approach is not entirely environmentally friendly – it uses a traditional gasoline engine to generate electricity, which is then used to drive the vehicle; the engine does not participate in the driving process and functions more like a \"power bank\". From an absolutely \"environmental\" perspective, or in terms of future prospects, extended-range electric vehicles indeed do not represent the major trend of the future. After all, it cannot get rid of the \"major flaw\" of its engine, nor can it break free from its reliance on traditional gasoline fuel.
However, at the current stage, infrastructure and power-related technologies have not fully resolved the issues related to user convenience. On the contrary, both range anxiety and charging anxiety prevent electric vehicles from providing users with a good experience. From this perspective, range-extended electric vehicles indeed perform better than pure electric vehicles. The WEY brand’s CEO described it as \"outdated technology\" – not entirely because it still relies on engines, but rather because in the current realm of plug-in hybrids, the DHT approach is a more \"advanced\" solution compared to extended-range systems. In fact, most of the current mainstream traditional automakers use the DHT system, such as BYD’s DM-i super hybrid system, Great Wall’s Lemon Hybrid DHT, Chery’s Kunpeng Hybrid system, and Geely’s Thunder Power system, among others. Compared to DHT, the lack of direct engine drive remains a weakness of hybrid-electric systems. It can be said that DHT covers the technical scope of extended-range systems, but extended-range systems cannot achieve the lower fuel consumption levels that DHT provides at high speeds.
For automakers, extended-range hybrids have relatively lower costs and a simpler structure; they lack the gearbox system required for direct engine-driven propulsion, and there is no need to develop engines that operate using the Atkinson or Miller cycles – procurement is sufficient in such cases. Therefore, new automakers such as Huawei, Lantu, and Li Auto basically adopt the extended-range powertrain solution. For consumers, if we have to identify the key differences between extended-range vehicles and DHT vehicles at this stage, it is likely that extended-range vehicles are closer to pure electric cars in terms of product design and driving experience. Of course, the strong sales of extended-range hybrid vehicles actually have little to do with the extended-range technology itself. Models like the Ideal ONE, which feature extended-range hybrid technology, represent the powertrain options that, within their capabilities, can best meet the requirements related to feasibility, green vehicle policies, and purchase tax incentives. Most consumers choose the Ideal ONE, being more interested in its interior space, 6-seater layout, design style, color options, and technological features. As for why the more “advanced” DHT products fail to match the sales volume and popularity of these new entrants, more attention should be paid to consumers’ “needs,” and efforts should be made to address what consumers care about.
Being bombarded as \"outdated technology\" – is the extended-range hybrid still the \"best solution\" at this stage? Therefore, extended-range electric vehicles are not truly \"advanced\"; they should be considered \"transition products\" for the current stage. They may not represent the future, but at present they do address some of the requirements of consumers, while also achieving a good balance in terms of technological sophistication, cost-effectiveness, and convenience, which suits the conditions of the current era. Being bombarded as \"outdated technology\" – is the extended-range hybrid still the \"best solution\" at this stage? So, it’s no wonder that Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei’s Intelligent Automotive Solutions Business Unit, also believes that extended-range electric vehicles represent the best option at present. Although both relate to \"range-extended\" technology, industry professionals hold different opinions and attitudes. Jiang Ge believes that it’s not a matter of who is right or wrong, but rather who can better grasp the trends developing and manage the pace of technological substitution and innovation. Although policies play a guiding role, the market is ultimately determined by user voting.
From January to June, the cumulative retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles in the domestic market reached 2.248 million units, a year-on-year increase of 122.5%, showing a \"W-shaped\" trend. In June, domestic retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles reached 532,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 130.8%. The market penetration rate was 27.4%, up 12.8 percentage points from 14.6% in the same period last year.
It is driven by a motor; the engine does not participate in the driving process and functions as a \"power bank\".
The positioning is accurate; it is simply an excessive phase. The ultimate goal for new energy vehicles is pure electric power or clean energy fuel cells. I am more optimistic about pure electric vehicles; battery technology is advancing rapidly, and the issues related to charging and range of electric cars will eventually be resolved.
Those who change sides constantly don’t end up well. This thing is completely useless