this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2026
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hmmm
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I heard of hybrid cars working like that. I wonder why it never really became a thing.
I suspect "tiny battery+generator" EVs aren't a thing in the US because:
It doesn't sound or drive like an ICE car. It still has a battery, so gets all that range/durability "anxiety" associated with being an EV.
It's associated with all the issues of ICE-based hybrids.
It's not "all-electric," not quiet, so it's not percieved as a luxury car like pure EVs generally are.
The cars that do implement this tend to be smaller, so not marketable here in the US, apparently.
Factories are still tooled to make ICE cars en masse, not EV drivetrains.
In other words, it's all perception and marketing. And I think, sadly, it's true: people wouldn't buy them here in the US.
You do see them outside the US though.