FleetCheck backs range extenders for wider EV uptake

But now FleetCheck says range-extenders could help bridge the gap to full electrification for applications where electrification is proving tough – such as pick-ups, off-road 4x4s and larger vans.

A range-extender (REx) vehicle operates primarily as an electric vehicle (EV), with the electric motor driving the wheels. When the battery charge gets low, the internal combustion engine (ICE) ignites to generate electricity, recharging the battery and extending the driving range.

Stellantis is among several manufacturers developing range extender vehicles. In November, it unveiled a new platform to underpin a range of pick-up trucks and large SUVs with electric powertrains. The STLA Frame platform will initially use fully electric powertrains with a driving range of up to 500 miles, but there will also be a range extender version that can travel up to 690 miles.

Peter Golding, managing director of FleetCheck, said: “In terms of stepping stone models between ICE and electric cars and vans, the motor industry has tended to go down the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) route and in some respects, they’ve not been the best solution.

“The problem with PHEVs, as many fleet managers will attest, is that it’s easy for drivers to never bother to charge them unless they are closely monitored, effectively using them as an ICE vehicle. Leasing companies sometimes receive them back with the charging cable still in its wrapper.

“In contrast, REx vehicles are electric first and make sense where their ICE capacity is designed to offer enough reassurance to offset issues surrounding range,” he said. “For fleet applications where electrification is proving tough – such as pick-ups, proper offroad 4x4s and larger vans – they could offer a genuine bridge until a time when charging infrastructure, and battery technology and pricing, improves to the point that an electric vehicle becomes practical.”

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