Renault's Range-Extender Play: When EVs Need a Crutch
Renault is retrofitting its next mid-sized EV platform to accept a small petrol range-extender—essentially admitting that pure battery architecture still has range anxiety problems the market won't accept. The move mirrors BMW's i3 strategy from a decade ago, except this time it's not about being clever, it's about hedging bets on charging infrastructure that still doesn't exist at scale.
Range-extenders are just EVs for people who don't trust the grid. Renault knows it.