Author | Lao Mian

Editor | Dexin

Leading manufacturers of pure electric vehicles are collectively embracing the extended range route.

Last month, at Xpeng's AI Technology Day, the company finalized its extended range technology roadmap—Xpeng's "Kunpeng Super Electric System," with the first vehicle set to enter mass production in 2025.

Furthermore, Xiaomi, which ventured into the automotive industry with pure electric vehicles, is also developing extended range models. According to HiEV, following the release of pure electric models SU7 and YU7, Xiaomi has planned three extended range models.

Although NIO reaffirmed during last week's media communication session that "NIO does not produce extended range vehicles," the third "Firefly" brand is still discussing "whether there will be other powertrain options in the global market."

Following the merger of Zeekr and Link&Co, the new plan involves equipping both Zeekr's mid-to-large vehicles and Link&Co's mid-sized vehicles with hybrid powertrains. Zeekr will launch a mid-to-large flagship SUV equipped with extended range technology in the third quarter of next year.

Initially, besides Li Auto, AITO was the primary supporter of extended range powertrains in the market, and AITO has achieved remarkable success with its extended range models this year. According to statistics from HiEV and its partner Anluqin, the AITO M9, priced at over 460,000 yuan, sold over 118,500 units from February to October 2024, with nearly 90% being extended range models.

To date, Li Auto, AITO, SL03, Leapmotor, NIO, AITO, Lunatec, Chery EXEED, and others have launched their respective extended range models, while ZEEKR, Xiaomi, IM Motors, Aion, and others have planned or will soon release their extended range versions.

Extended range has become a common choice among leading electric vehicle manufacturers, especially for mid-to-large vehicles.

I. Selling Cars is King: The Triumph of Extended Range

As a pioneer in the extended range market, Li Auto has, to some extent, successfully established the category of "extended range family SUVs."

According to Gasgoo, from January to November 2024, Li Auto sold a total of 442,000 vehicles, with 432,400 being extended range L9, L8, L7, and L6 models, accounting for 97.8% of total sales.

Leapmotor and SL03, two rapidly emerging brands, also utilize extended range powertrains as their primary sales versions. Leapmotor sold over 250,000 vehicles from January to November, while SL03 sold over 170,000 vehicles during the same period.

Both Leapmotor's mid-to-large six-seater SUV C16 and SL03's large six-seater SUV S09 follow the product definition of Li Auto's L series to varying degrees.

AITO, deeply involved with Huawei, sold 355,813 vehicles during the same period. AITO launched the M9 model at the end of last year, which has been one of the most successful high-end luxury models in recent years. According to statistics from HiEV's partner Anluqin, from February to October, over 118,500 M9s were sold, with 89.03% being extended range versions.

In October, Luo Jian, General Manager of CATL's Marketing Department, stated at the XiaoYao Battery launch event that extended range and hybrid vehicles accounted for 43% of domestic new energy passenger cars in the past three months.

Among these, plug-in hybrid vehicles accounted for 32%, and extended range vehicles accounted for 11%.

This indicates that almost every second electric vehicle sold is an extended range or hybrid model, showcasing that they are no longer transitional products from gasoline to electric.

In August this year, data from the China Passenger Car Association revealed that wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles in China reached 1,052,000 units that month. Among these, wholesale sales of extended range vehicles reached 115,000 units, with a year-on-year increase of 109%, significantly higher than the 6.6% growth for pure electric vehicles and the 84% growth for plug-in hybrids.

On December 12, at NIO's year-end media session, NIO CEO Li Bin said, "Only Tesla and NIO are insisting on (only making) pure electric vehicles."

II. Extended Range 2.0: Infinitely Close to a Pure Electric Experience

Extended range models, represented by Li Auto and AITO, focus on family use, spaciousness, and comfort as their main selling points. The core of their extended range technology is to address range anxiety.

With more manufacturers entering the extended range market and technological advancements from core suppliers like CATL, the new generation of extended range technology has significantly improved in terms of range and power.

AITO's Kunlun Extended Range Technology Platform, launched with the AITO 07, is equipped with a 39 kWh battery, a peak charging rate of 3C, and a discharge rate of up to 7.7C under depleted battery conditions, resulting in less than a 1-second deceleration in acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h even when the battery is depleted.

CATL's XiaoYao Super Extended Range Battery, released in October, can push the pure electric range of hybrid vehicles to over 400 kilometers and also offers 4C ultra-fast charging capability.

Xpeng will launch a model equipped with the "Kunpeng Super Electric" system next year, featuring a pure electric range of up to 430 kilometers, a combined range of over 1,400 kilometers, and will be equipped with 5C ultra-fast charging and an 800V high-voltage platform.

In terms of battery capacity, range, and charging speed, extended range models are converging increasingly towards the experience of pure electric vehicles. Consequently, the prices of extended range models are also approaching those of pure electric models, with a price difference of only 10,000 yuan between the pure electric and extended range versions of the same AITO 07 configuration.

III. Why Extended Range Vehicles Are Becoming More Attractive

In addition to Xiaomi, which has publicly announced its entry into the extended range market, brands such as Huawei's Hongmeng Zhixing's Zhijie and Zunjie, Zeekr, IM Motors, and Aion are also increasing their investment in extended range technology.

The extended range version of Hongmeng Zhixing's Zhijie R7 will be released on December 19, with the extended range version of Zhijie S7 also on the horizon. Furthermore, the million-yuan executive flagship Zunjie S800, set to be launched next year, will offer both extended range and pure electric powertrains.

IM Motors' first extended range model is an SUV comparable to Li Auto's L7, scheduled for release in the first quarter of next year. Aion's HL, which will also be launched next year, will offer an extended range version with a larger size than Li Auto's L7 and AITO's M7. The extended range version will have a pure electric range of up to 350 kilometers and a combined range of over 1,200 kilometers.

At this juncture, not only new brands like Li Auto and AITO but also more established domestic brands are embracing the once-considered "outdated" technology of extended range.

Especially for mid-to-large vehicles, there is a stronger preference for extended range.

With longer range, lower battery costs, and higher user acceptance, extended range models strike the perfect balance between addressing user range anxiety and cost-effectiveness.

It is foreseeable that starting from the first half of next year, extended range electric vehicles will offer a more diverse range of options. While they may differ in technical details, the indisputable fact is that extended range technology is not only not outdated but is becoming increasingly attractive.