For the future of U.S. plug-in hybrid range, look to Europe

Some plug-in hybrids can take European drivers 80 miles on a single charge, more than double the electric range of their counterparts sold in the U.S.

The long-range European models, driven by regulation, preview what's to come in the U.S.

Many European plug-in hybrid drivers don't regularly charge their vehicles, opting to use their combustion engines when their batteries run out. The EU is pushing for longer electric ranges that will help automakers meet stricter emissions targets that start in 2025, experts said. The latest plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in Europe have battery-only ranges comparable to early EVs.

In Europe, the electric-only range on the Skoda Superb iV PHEV has more than doubled to about 84 miles. The VW Passat plug-in hybrid has a battery range of about 74 miles. That's only about 30 miles shy of the all-electric Nissan Leaf's range when it debuted in 2010, though range on full EVs has advanced. The median range of 2023 model year EVs in the U.S. was 270 miles, according to the Department of Energy.

Plug-in hybrids in the U.S. market have far shorter electric ranges than those emerging in Europe. The Toyota Prius Prime SE trim has the longest electric range at 45 miles. The Volvo S60 Recharge and Toyota RAV4 Prime battery ranges are 40 and 42 miles, but most plug-in hybrids for sale in the U.S. can drive only 25-35 miles on a battery charge, according to a March 2024 Kelley Blue Book analysis.

The electric range will lengthen as U.S. automakers comply with California's Advanced Clean Cars Act II, zero-emission vehicle regulation that at least 18 states and Washington, D.C., have agreed to follow. Together, those states account for 40 percent of the U.S. light-vehicle market.

The rule requires zero-emission vehicles to make up 35 percent of new-vehicle sales by the 2026 model year, 68 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035. Automakers can meet up to 20 percent of their zero-emission sales requirements with plug-in hybrids that have a minimum range of 43 miles through 2028 and 70 miles after 2028, according to the California Air Resources Board.

Developing longer-range plug-ins will take time and significant investment, said Stephanie Brinley, analyst at S&P Global Mobility.

"It's going to require more engineering and more battery and more expense," she said. "Some [automakers] that are more aggressive about getting plug-in hybrids may be more aggressive about getting the range up."

U.S. automakers that plan to use plug-in hybrids as a compliance tool face a cost challenge because the vehicles need two propulsion systems, Brinley said.

"The battery is smaller than you would have in a pure EV. But it's still a battery and it's

European plug-in hybrids gain electric range, U.S. models to follow

Longer-range European plug-in hybrids, driven by regulation, preview what's to come in the U.S.

Longer-range European plug-in hybrids, driven by regulation, preview what's to come in the U.S.