A new type of electric vehicle in development by Hyundai will seek to address consumers’ fears surrounding range anxiety, according to Interesting Engineering.
Called the Extended Range Electric Vehicle, it utilizes an internal combustion engine to generate electricity that recharges the battery when its charge runs low.
Using a new powertrain and power electronics (PT/PE) system, the vehicle would also be capable of four-wheel drive through the application of two motors.
The automaker has said its EREV is capable of traveling up to 560 miles on a single charge. For comparison, EVs with the longest ranges as ranked by Car and Driver didn’t come close, topping out at 410 miles from the Lucid Air.
There is also speculation that the vehicle may be competitive as an affordable EV option due to its smaller battery capacity.
As of now, Hyundai is planning to launch an EREV in 2027, with mass production of EREVs in North America and China beginning in 2026. The first vehicles to feature EREV technology will likely be Hyundai and Genesis D-class SUVs, such as the Santa Fe and GV70.
Hyundai has said it would plan to sell around 80,000 of these vehicles annually. Hyundai and Kia are also working on incorporating EREV technology into pickup trucks that are already under development by Hyundai, with plans to begin releasing them in 2028.
