EVs with ICE engines begin to catch carmakers’ fancy

JSW Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra see potential for range-extended electric vehicles

- Ayaan Kartik

Currently, no carmaker in India manufactures or sells REEVs.

(AFP)

Homegrown carmakers JSW Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) are open to adopting range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs) if India’s policy framework expands incentives beyond pure electric vehicles, even as experts warn against equating the technology with battery-electric cars.

REEVs, also called REX (range extender) hybrids, are always driven by an electric motor but carry a small internal combustion engine (ICE) whose sole role is to generate electricity when the battery charge runs low. Comparatively, strong hybrids have both an electric battery and a powerful ICE engine, both of which can run the vehicle.

To be sure, no carmaker in India manufactures or sells REEVs currently. Strong hybrid vehicles are on offer from Japanese carmakers such as Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Maruti Suzuki India and Honda Cars India.