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.

Nissan's latest electrification play wraps a gas engine in a performance hatchback chassis—but it's not driving the wheels. It's a range extender, which means the real engineering conversation here is about battery sizing, motor placement, and whether this solves anything actual owners care about. The concept signals where Nissan thinks hot hatches go next, even if the formula feels borrowed from Audi's playbook.