For Lagging Automakers: Stop Pouring Money Into The Wrong Powertrains

This is an industry commentary about which car technologies automakers like Honda, Toyota, GM, Ford, and Nissan should keep investing in as electric vehicles gain ground. The piece argues that regular gas and diesel engines and standard hybrids are becoming dead ends for further investment, since the improvements left to find are small and Chinese manufacturers already build efficient hybrid systems at large scale. It's also skeptical of plug-in hybrids, the type with both a gas engine and a battery that can each drive the wheels, noting that many owners rarely plug them in, so the cars often just run as heavier, pricier gas vehicles.

The technology it favors instead is the range-extended electric vehicle, or EREV: a car driven entirely by an electric motor, with a small gas engine on board that only recharges the battery rather than turning the wheels. These can offer 60 to 120-plus miles of electric range plus a gas backup for longer trips. A company called Horse Powertrain, a joint venture of Renault, Geely, and Saudi Aramco, has built a compact engine-generator unit designed to drop into existing electric platforms.

None of this changes anything for homeowners right now — it's a forecast about where car companies should direct their engineering money as the market shifts toward electric vehicles. If you're weighing a future EV purchase alongside a home charger or solar setup, it's a sign that range-extended electric models may become a more common option, alongside more conventional hybrids and full battery-electric cars.