A Chinese company has introduced a detachable range-extending device designed to address one of the biggest challenges facing battery electric vehicles: limited driving range.
The unit, developed by Changan’s Hunan Tyen, is known as a Power Turbine Generator (PTG). It is engineered as a compact, removable module that can be installed on a pure electric vehicle when additional range is required.
PTG designed with a focus on efficiency
By generating electricity from fuel, the system effectively converts a battery electric vehicle (BEV) into an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) without requiring permanent structural modifications.
The PTG has been designed with a focus on efficiency, compactness, and adaptability.
Engineers optimized the turbine and compressor layout using advanced simulation tools to improve airflow and overall performance. The system incorporates high-efficiency components such as a refined bearing assembly and upgraded compressor and turbine structures, which together enhance energy conversion efficiency. Thermal management was also a priority during development, with specialized cooling pathways and temperature control strategies ensuring stable operation even under demanding conditions.
PTG system boasts several advantages
Hunan Tyen’s PTG system boasts several advantages, including a more compact structure, higher power density, and stronger fuel adaptability. For the key gas turbine component, the company leveraged its fluid machinery design expertise alongside three-dimensional turbulence numerical simulation to analyse the internal flow fields of the compressor and turbine, Cars News China reported .
Simultaneously, they innovatively developed a high-efficiency ball bearing system, an efficient vaned compressor, and a fixed-guide vane turbine, ultimately boosting turbine efficiency by over 5%, according to the report.
Detachable generator offers flexibility
According to the company, the detachable generator offers flexibility for drivers who may not need extended range on a daily basis but want reassurance for long trips. By reducing reliance on very large battery packs, the solution could help control vehicle weight and potentially lower costs. Beyond passenger vehicles, the technology may also have applications in areas such as unmanned aerial systems and portable power supply equipment.
The broader significance of this product lies in its potential to reduce reliance on very large battery packs — a major cost and weight factor in electric cars — by offering a flexible way to extend driving range when required.
Because it operates independently of the main electric powertrain and can be used selectively, it could appeal to drivers who face significant range anxiety or limited charging networks, especially in regions where fast-charging infrastructure is still developing.
The company also sees potential uses for the generator outside passenger cars, such as in mobile power equipment or unmanned aerial platforms, further underscoring its versatility.
Even with improvements in battery technology, BEVs can lose significant range in cold weather or during sustained high-speed driving, and charging infrastructure gaps still make long trips inconvenient for many drivers. The newly revealed Power Turbine Generator (PTG) is expected to end BEVs’ range anxiety.
