Hey, the automotive world is buzzing like a busy market lately, with everyone rushing to develop range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs)! It's like a group of people suddenly discovering a hidden treasure, and they all rush to get their hands on it. But take a look—among the mainstream automakers, NIO stands out like a stubborn big brother, sticking firmly to the pure electric game.
Let’s first take a look at why range-extended electric vehicles have suddenly become so popular. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the sales of range-extended electric vehicles in 2023 grew an astonishing 120% year-on-year, with this figure skyrocketing like a rocket. Why? Well, take a certain brand's range-extended model, for example. It solves the consumer problem of "range anxiety." Many owners say that when driving a pure electric car, seeing the battery level drop low would make them anxious, much like how we feel when our phone battery dips below 20%. With a range-extender, when the battery runs out, you can just refill the tank and keep going, as if the car had been given a shot of confidence.
Now, let’s look at the automakers jumping on the bandwagon, like a group of copycats. It’s a bit like when Lei Jun introduced a model with Xiaomi, and everyone else thought it was a good idea, so they all followed suit. Some automakers that had small successes in the pure electric field suddenly saw range-extended vehicles becoming popular and quickly switched gears to invest in them. It’s like a long-distance runner spotting a short-distance sprinter winning a race and deciding to switch to sprints.
However, we can't just focus on the excitement of range-extended vehicles; we also need to address the "crisis" for pure electric vehicles (EVs). Many of these short-sighted automakers are overlooking the potential of pure EVs. The development of pure electric vehicles is the big trend! Take Europe, for instance—Norway’s market penetration of pure electric vehicles hit 80% in 2023. With the right infrastructure and policy support, pure EVs are thriving.
As for NIO, sticking to pure electric is like holding onto an oasis in the middle of a desert. NIO has been tirelessly improving its battery swapping system, which is a major game-changer. As of the first half of 2024. NIO has already deployed more than 1.500 battery swap stations nationwide. Some car owners joke that driving a NIO feels like playing a game with countless respawn points—when the battery runs low, just swap it out. It’s faster than refueling!
Those automakers jumping on the range-extended bandwagon might seem like they're addressing current consumer pain points, but in the long run, they could miss out on the golden age of pure electric development. Technological innovations in pure EVs are continuing to progress, with battery energy density steadily increasing and charging speeds getting faster. Manufacturers shouldn’t just chase short-term gains, blindly following the trend of range extenders. Instead, they should learn from NIO, maintain a strategic vision, and stay the course with pure EVs. Otherwise, when the pure electric era truly arrives, those latecomers might find they’ve traded a watermelon for a sesame seed.
On this grand stage of the automotive world, let's hope automakers can play their roles well and stop just following other people's scripts!
