Mercedes-Benz Ditches Range Extender Tech for Electric Cars: Here's Why

Listen up, electric vehicle fans! The shift has been made by Mercedes-Benz in terms of strategy development—it no longer plans on building electric vehicles (EVs) with range extender technology.

What Does Range Extender Actually Mean?

An electric vehicle with a small gasoline engine on board—that's basically the idea behind a range extender. This doesn't directly power the wheels but is meant to be a generator that comes into use when the battery is low on charge.

What Made Mercedes-Benz Stop?

The German automaker believes that in the future, there's no need for the range extender, as with the expansion of charging stations, this temporary remedy will be unneeded. Secondly, they say, integrating an internal combustion engine with a generator system in a car is very complex and expensive from a manufacturing aspect, which therefore drives up the overall price of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz cares less about that. They prefer instead to focus on simpler technology by prioritizing development of better batteries in their electric vehicles for a streamlined and cost-effective approach.

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What Were They Testing?

Before they made this decision, Mercedes-Benz wasn't talking; they were actively testing the range extender. These prototypes were based on the EQS, and the 1.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine worked exclusively to recharge the batteries.

What Could the Future Be for Electric Vehicles at Mercedes-Benz?

This decision to drop the range extender marks Mercedes-Benz's commitment to the all-around electric vehicle technology—they plan on enhancing its battery technology.

Could the Concept of Range Extenders Be for Others?

While Mercedes-Benz is stepping away, there could still be wait in range extenders for some of their players—those being Chinese and Indian carmakers, especially where the charging infrastructure still exists in a nascent stage.

Range Extenders: Still a Possibility for Others?

Maruti Suzuki, one of the Indian carmakers, had already announced plans to introduce a range extender in some of its models. So, while Mercedes-Benz might be out, the story of range extenders in the electric car world isn't over yet.

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