Volkswagen will stick to plug-in hybrids for Europe, with brand CEO Thomas Schäfer ruling that range-extender technology “makes no sense” here.
Volkswagen’s Chinese joint-venture with SAIC has revealed the ID.Era, a seven-seat SUV concept heading for production. Its battery offers a 300km (186-mile) range, extended by another 435 miles thanks to an efficient on-board engine acting as a generator.
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But what works in flowing Chinese traffic doesn’t work with the cut and thrust of European roads – and that’s before you get into the sheer expense of offering a big battery, electric motor and combustion engine, argues VW.
“We have the technology in China,” Schäfer told Auto Express. “[There] you swim with the traffic, but [for] driving in Europe, I’m not so sure. The only evidence of it is the Nissan Qashqai [e-Power].”
The updated Qashqai isn’t a plug-in so relies on its 1.5-litre engine to summon its range of up to 745 miles. The downside is CO2 emissions of 102g/km – more than twice that of many plug-in hybrids, which benefit from running mostly on battery power for the WLTP test cycle, although economy slumps when the battery is drained.
“The European CO2 rules don’t give you any benefit [for range extenders],” continued Schäfer. “And it’s expensive technology. We could bring it but it’s nothing that makes sense.”
