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Why Your Next Electric Car Might Carry a Gallon of Gas

  //automotive-transportation.news-articles.net/co .. xt-electric-car-might-carry-a-gallon-of-gas.html
  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Friday, December 26th 2025 at 12:00 GMT by Forbes
      Locale: UNITED STATES

Why Your Next Electric Car Might Carry a Gallon of Gas

The electric‑vehicle (EV) boom is accelerating, but the “range anxiety” that still haunts many potential buyers is a hard‑to‑ignore barrier. In a 2025 Forbes piece by Sarwat Singh, the author argues that the most pragmatic way to allay that fear is to keep a tiny, “range‑extender” engine tucked in the back of the battery‑electric car. The idea is simple: a lightweight gasoline engine, a modest fuel tank, and a control system that keeps the battery topped‑off when the driver is on a long trip or simply needs a quick recharge in a pinch. The article’s thesis is that this hybrid approach is the most likely route to universal EV adoption in the near term.

What a Range Extender Is (and Isn’t)

A range extender is not a conventional “plug‑in hybrid” like the Toyota Prius or the Chevrolet Volt, nor is it a “pure” battery‑electric vehicle. It sits somewhere in between: the car’s primary propulsion is an electric motor powered by a lithium‑ion battery pack; when that battery falls below a preset threshold, a small internal‑combustion engine (ICE) starts and drives a generator that charges the battery. The engine itself never turns the wheels; it merely provides electricity. In many of the vehicles that have tested the concept—BMW i3 REx, the first‑generation Chevrolet Volt, and a handful of concept cars from Hyundai and Mercedes‑Benz—the gasoline unit is a 1.0‑to‑1.5‑liter inline‑3 or inline‑4, weighing no more than 150 kg, and the tank holds only 2–4 gal of fuel.

The Forbes article underscores that a single gallon can add roughly 50–60 miles of range, enough to get a driver to the next major city or across an entire state‑wide highway. The author highlights that the most appealing aspect for consumers is that they can still refuel at the gas station in seconds, instead of waiting for a 45‑minute charge at a fast‑charger.

Why the Market Still Needs a Backup

1. Infrastructure Lag
   Even as the number of DC fast‑chargers climbs, the density of charging stations remains uneven, especially in rural areas. A range extender turns the gasoline tank into a “backup battery” that can keep a driver on the road without requiring a charger.

2. Charging Time
   Fast‑charging, though much quicker than Level 1, still takes 20–30 minutes for a 50 % charge. A gas tank can deliver a full “re‑charge” in a few minutes—often within the same amount of time you’d need for a coffee break.

3. Consumer Confidence
   The article cites a recent survey (Link: EV Consumer Confidence Report, 2025) in which 38 % of respondents said that a gasoline backup was a decisive factor in their buying decision. Range extenders therefore play a psychological role, easing the transition to a new technology.

4. Fuel Flexibility
   Many EV manufacturers are exploring synthetic or renewable fuels for their ICE units. If the gasoline engine can be powered by bio‑diesel or e‑fuel, the net CO₂ emissions of the vehicle become considerably lower than a typical gasoline car.

How the Technology Works

The key to a successful range extender is efficiency. The engine must run at a constant, high‑efficiency RPM—often around 1000–1200 rpm—so that it can generate power without excess heat or emissions. The article includes a detailed diagram (Link: Range Extender Mechanics, 2025 Forbes Tech‑Sidebar) showing a small generator coupled to a lithium‑ion battery via an inverter. The EV’s power‑train management system (PTMS) monitors the state of charge (SoC), ambient temperature, and driver load to determine the exact moment the ICE should start and stop.

Because the engine operates at a narrow range of loads, manufacturers can optimize fuel injection, turbocharging, and exhaust aftertreatment for minimal NOx and CO₂ production. Some engineers predict a 90‑percent reduction in tail‑pipe emissions relative to a conventional engine, thanks to the ability to keep the combustion chamber at a steady, low‑temperature state.

Cost and Weight Trade‑Offs

One of the article’s most compelling points is that a range extender adds only a modest amount of weight—roughly 200 kg, or less than 1 % of the battery pack’s mass. It also increases the overall cost of the vehicle by $2,000–$3,500, depending on the engine’s size and the complexity of the control electronics. The Forbes piece notes that the average EV price in 2025 sits around $45,000, so the cost bump is acceptable for the added flexibility.

Manufacturers are also exploring “plug‑in” solutions that allow the ICE to be turned off for short trips and switched on for long drives, keeping the fuel consumption to a minimum. The article provides a chart (Link: Fuel Consumption vs. Driving Distance) that shows the average gasoline usage dropping to less than 5 gal per month for a typical commuter using a range‑extended EV.

The Future: From Band‑Aid to Mainstream

According to the article, several automakers have already announced plans to offer range‑extended versions of their upcoming EV line‑ups. BMW’s next‑generation iX series will be offered with a 1.5‑liter gasoline generator, while Hyundai is testing a 2‑liter, 90 kW generator for its Ioniq 5. Ford is reportedly exploring a “Flex‑Power” option that would let the Mustang Mach‑E switch between pure electric and a range‑extended mode.

The author argues that while the market may eventually shift entirely toward larger battery packs and more widespread charging, the range‑extender will serve as a bridge technology. It will keep the adoption curve smooth while consumers get used to the idea of driving an all‑electric car for most of their daily travel.

Bottom Line

The Forbes article does a thorough job of explaining why carrying a gallon of gas inside your electric car is not a sign of the EV industry’s weakness but rather a smart engineering compromise. Range extenders:

• Mitigate range anxiety by giving drivers an instant backup.
• Reduce charging dependency, particularly on less‑dense routes.
• Lower the effective cost of ownership, keeping EVs within reach of the mass market.
• Facilitate a smoother transition to a zero‑emission future.

For consumers who still worry about long trips or charging infrastructure, a range‑extended electric car may be the best of both worlds—electric for the city, gasoline for the open road. As battery technology continues to improve and charging networks expand, range extenders will likely become a standard feature in the “next‑generation” EV, not an optional add‑on.