You might have heard of ‘Range Extender’ hybrids and wondered why they’re still not prevalent in Europe. In theory, they propose a near-compromise-free combination of EV-like electric range with a small ICE engine that can keep the batteries topped up – but, as MG’s boss of R&D has just explained, there’s a problem. 

 

Qiu Jie told Auto Express: “It’s very difficult to make range extenders Euro 7 compliant. A range extender won’t pass Euro 7 [emissions regulations], but a PHEV will.” If this initially seems confusing, it has to do with how range-extenders work – and a quirk of the Euro 7 testing procedure that uncovers a gap in this type of powertrain’s eco-credientials.