Range Extended Vehicle REHEV

Engineers built a plug-in hybrid SUV that emits 94.8 grams of CO₂ per kilometre—less than half the emissions of a typical petrol car—and can drive 19.3 miles on battery power alone. This matters because large SUVs are among the hardest vehicles to decarbonise. Their weight and size mean they burn more fuel than smaller cars, and battery-only versions remain expensive and heavy. The project tackled that gap by developing a modular powertrain—a mix of electric motor and diesel engine—that can be swapped between different vehicle types without redesigning the whole system. Keeping costs down was central: modularity lets manufacturers spread development costs across multiple models. If adopted, this approach could cut lifecycle CO₂ emissions from premium SUVs by more than a third compared with conventional diesel versions, while still offering a practical zero-emission range for short urban trips. The project also installed and tested local recharging facilities, showing that the infrastructure to support plug-in hybrids can work in real-world settings. For fleet operators or drivers who cannot rely solely on battery range, this kind of range-extended hybrid offers a lower-carbon option without requiring a full switch to electric.