Electric vehicles were supposed to make gas stations a thing of the past. So why are automakers suddenly putting gasoline engines back into electric cars?

 

The answer is a relatively simple piece of technology called an EREV, short for Extended-Range Electric Vehicle.

 

EREVs are gaining serious traction because they promise something that many traditional EVs struggle to deliver: zero range anxiety. That's because the gasoline engine in an EREV is essentially a generator carried onboard to keep the battery supplied with electricity when needed.