Volkswagen is plotting to bring range-extender electric vehicles to Europe after previewing its first model with the drivetrain at the Shanghai motor show.
Range-extender EVs, also known as RExs or EREVs, are the latest spin on hybrid cars, in which a combustion engine acts as a generator to power the electric motor or top up the battery, rather than driving the wheels.
“Range-extenders today are already a very big thing in China. They will be of relevance in North America and we are convinced they will also have relevance in Europe,” Martin Sander, Volkswagen's global head of sales and marketing, told Autocar.
