There are five distinct types of electric vehicles:

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have both an internal-combustion engine and an electric motor, which assists only at low speeds. The battery is charged either by the combustion engine or through recuperation when braking. Honda’s Accord line, for example, features an HEV model.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are powered by an electric motor as well as a small combustion engine. They have an all-electric range of 20 to 60 miles and can be charged at a regular EV charging station. Toyota’s Prius line includes a plug-in hybrid.

Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) are sometimes included in the PHEV category, but there are key differences between the two. Whereas PHEVs use a parallel electric-motor and ICE powertrain configuration, EREVs typically include a small ICE-powered generator that recharges the battery pack. Both EREVs and PHEVs can be charged at EV charging stations, and their ICE engines can be refueled at traditional gas stations. But many PHEVs can only slow charge using home chargers or public chargers, whereas EREVs can use AC chargers and newer DC fast chargers. Finally, EREVs offer a longer driving range than PHEVs: usually between 100 and 200 miles, compared with 20 to 60 miles for PHEVs.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rely solely on their battery for power. They produce no tailpipe emissions, have no combustion engine, and can typically drive between 200 and 500 miles before needing to recharge. The Tesla Model 3 and the Chevy Bolt are examples of BEVs.

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) use only electric motors. Their electricity is generated in fuel cells and can be stored in a small buffer battery. Fuel cell vehicles use hydrogen (which is compressed into tanks) as fuel. Toyota’s Mirai and Hyundai’s Nexo are examples of FCEVs.

China is the only market where EREVs are currently available at scale. The vehicle’s strong sales momentum there has caught the attention of auto manufacturers in Europe and the United States as one potential way to boost EV sales growth. 

EREVs, such as the now-discontinued Chevy Volt, were part of the first wave of vehicle electrification in the 2010s. 

But they didn’t take off, because early EV adopters were interested mainly in pure BEVs. Today, though, a wider range of Americans and Europeans are buying EVs—not only the early tech-savvy adopters but also mainstream car buyers. 

For automakers that have developed BEV production lines but may have struggled to get sufficient sales volume, they can often develop EREVs on the same BEV platform and achieve better economies of scale.

At present, only a few EREVs are commercially available. But in different geographies, a number of new EREVs are scheduled to hit the market in 2025:

In the United States, soon-to-release EREVs in the SUV and truck segments include the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger, which reports a 145-mile pure electric and 690-mile total driving range.

In Canada and the United States, the Volkswagen-backed Scout Motors has announced several EREV models. According to the company, these models have received considerably more deposits than they saw for their BEVs.

In China, Li Auto has introduced several EREVs, including its L9, which reports a 134-mile electric range and an 817-mile total range. Aito’s M9 reports up to a 170-mile electric range and a total range of up to 871 miles