Multinational automakers: Counterattack Chinese new forces with “transitional technologies”

More and more multinational automakers are reaping the benefits of hybrid technology.

The Lexus RX 350h, with an ultra - low fuel consumption of 5.38L, dominates the North American luxury SUV list.

Despite a 4% decline in sales in 2024, Mercedes - Benz's plug - in hybrid models saw a 13% year - on - year increase in annual sales. Recently, it was reported that Mercedes - Benz will focus on large - battery hybrid vehicles.

At the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, BMW unveiled its technical roadmap of "internal combustion engine - hybrid - pure electric" running in parallel, which attracted a lot of attention. Now, it is set to restart the range - extender technology.

Audi's CEO even stated bluntly at an internal meeting, "We seriously underestimated the strategic value of plug - in hybrids!"

The comeback of hybrid technology is no accident. Multinational automakers are embracing hybrid technology with open arms. Behind this dramatic turn is a technological counter - offensive for survival. Giants that once regarded Chinese technology as "followers" are now using Chinese hybrid solutions to counter - attack the Chinese market.

In China, which has the highest density of charging piles in the world, the sales of hybrid vehicles have skyrocketed. In Europe, where there are only 50,000 public fast - charging piles, hybrid vehicles have already become the pillar of luxury car sales. The capital market is voting with real money: Tesla, adhering to the pure - electric belief, has seen its stock price evaporate by 37% this year, while Toyota has regained the top spot in the global automaker market value rankings due to the hot sales of its hybrid models.

While the pure - electric camp is still arguing about range anxiety and spontaneous combustion risks, technological evolution has completely transformed hybrid technology - this counter - attack launched by traditional giants is quietly rewriting the rules of the new - energy vehicle war.

1. Giants' U - turn: From the "Bottom of the Disdain Chain" to the "Lifesaver"

In June 2025, a statement from Audi's new CEO, Gernot Döllner, shocked the industry: he overturned the previous plan to stop selling fuel - powered vehicles by 2033 and instead proposed to "maintain the coexistence of fuel - powered and hybrid vehicles in the next decade."

This is not an isolated case.

Mercedes - Benz quietly extended the lifecycle of its A - class fuel - powered vehicles until 2026 and re - introduced the "big V8" in its top - of - the - line AMG models. Volvo withdrew its commitment to "fully electrify by 2030." Porsche even extended the sales cycle of its Cayenne fuel - powered version beyond 2030.

Photo: Mercedes - Benz AMG re - introduced the "big V8". Source: Screenshot from Internet's New Energy View

These giants that once led the charge in electrification have collectively turned to embrace hybrid technology. The market has awakened the idealists with a slap in the face. The sales of the fuel - powered version of the Audi Q3 plummeted by 27% in the first half of 2024, while the plug - in hybrid version saw an 18% increase during the same period. Lexus dominated the North American market with its hybrid models. The RX 350h, with a fuel consumption of 5.38L and a power of 457 horsepower, topped the luxury SUV sales list for three consecutive months.

Photo: Audi Q3 plug - in hybrid version - Lexus RX 350h. Source: Screenshot from Internet's New Energy View

Behind the market data are the real choices of consumers: When pure - electric vehicles discourage users due to range anxiety and charging difficulties, hybrid vehicles have become the optimal solution for those who want both environmental friendliness and freedom.

Even more dramatically, there has been a reversal in the technological path. Mercedes - Benz directly uses the AI hybrid system of a Chinese brand in its new - generation CLA plug - in hybrid version, and the plug - in hybrid version of the BMW X3 continues to use the Toyota THS architecture. These giants that once regarded Chinese technology as "followers" are now using Chinese hybrid systems to counter - attack the Chinese market.

Photo: Mercedes - Benz CLA plug - in hybrid version - BMW X3 plug - in hybrid version. Source: Screenshot from Internet's New Energy View

The underlying logic is to "learn from China's strengths to counter China" - Use China's mature hybrid solutions to counter the pure - electric offensive of Chinese new - energy vehicle startups. An Audi engineer once privately admitted that the self - developed pure - electric platform burned through 2.1 billion euros but only achieved a 15% sales share, while the Chinese - version hybrid system had an installed capacity of over 100,000 units in just three months.

Behind this U - turn are painful lessons. Volkswagen Group suffered a loss of 2.1 billion euros in its electric vehicle business in 2024, while fuel - powered vehicles contributed 65% of the profits. As the capital market loses patience with the "pure - electric story", hybrid technology has become a lifesaver for balancing short - term profitability and long - term transformation.

As Honda admitted when revising its strategy, "If we want to maintain a total sales volume of 3.6 million vehicles in 2030, we must ensure that 2.2 million of them are hybrid vehicles."

2. The Irresistible Allure of Hybrid Technology: The Optimal Solution in the Global Charging Pile Shortage

Why are multinational automakers placing big bets on hybrid technology? In short, fuel - powered vehicles are losing popularity, and pure - electric vehicles suffer from range anxiety.

China has 60% of the world's charging piles, over 10 million in total, with the highest density in the world. However, in 2024, the sales of hybrid models increased by 85% against the trend, accounting for 42.2% of the total sales of new - energy vehicles. In Europe, there are only 50,000 public fast - charging piles, and in the central states of the United States, there is only one charging pile every 200 kilometers on average.

Forcing the sale of pure - electric vehicles when the charging piles cannot meet the charging needs is like promoting down jackets in Hainan Island. It's not that the product is bad, but rather a mismatch of scenarios.

As a result, North American consumers shouted at Audi, "We want electrification, but not pure - electric vehicles." Eventually, Audi compromised and will launch 10 plug - in hybrid vehicles in 2025, covering all the main models from A3 to Q7. Japan has gone even further, with hybrid vehicles accounting for up to 90%. A Toyota engineer even said, "Pure - electric? That's just an elective for hybrids!"

Behind this choice is a harsh reality: Although the EU has passed the "ban on the sale of fuel - powered vehicles by 2035" bill, it has made an exception for hybrid vehicles. The Trump administration directly revoked Biden's electric vehicle mandate, creating a policy gap for hybrid vehicles.

Looking at the domestic market where new - energy vehicles are booming, such scenarios are becoming more and more common: while pure - electric vehicle owners are arguing over charging piles at highway service areas, hybrid vehicle owners have already filled up their tanks and sped away.

The Geely Galaxy L6 EM - i, with a fuel consumption of 3L in power - fed mode, outperforms its fuel - powered counterparts with 8L fuel consumption in the same class. Owners jokingly say that "a full tank of gas can cover a round - trip between Beijing and Shanghai with two bars of fuel left." The Li L9 has a pure - electric range of 215 kilometers, covering 90% of urban commuting scenarios. On long - distance trips, it can be refueled and become a "perpetual motion machine."

Photo: Geely Galaxy L6 EM - i and Li L9. Source: Screenshot from Internet's New Energy View

With lower fuel consumption in power - fed mode and a pure - electric range that covers daily scenarios, the overwhelming advantages of hybrid vehicles are hidden in the details of daily car use.

Thanks to rapid technological evolution, hybrid technology is transforming from a "compromise solution" to an "all - around player."

Toyota has reduced costs through a "diversified hybrid portfolio + local production." For example, the plug - in hybrid version of the C - HR has a pure - electric range of 66 kilometers under the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure) and a fuel consumption of 5L per 100 kilometers in hybrid mode. Its sales have skyrocketed by 256%, indicating European consumers' preference for technologies that eliminate range anxiety.

Photo: Toyota C - HR plug - in hybrid version. Source: Screenshot from Internet's New Energy View

BMW has also performed well in hybrid technology. The 2025 BMW X1 plug - in hybrid model has been technologically upgraded, equipped with a 24kWh battery pack, which increases the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) pure - electric range to 110km. This car has three driving modes: the AUTO mode prioritizes pure - electric driving by default, the MAX mode maximizes the pure - electric range, and the SAVE mode forces the engine to work to charge the battery.

Photo: BMW X1 plug - in hybrid version. Source: Screenshot from Internet's New Energy View

Of course, Audi, Mercedes - Benz, Jeep, Mitsubishi, etc. also have their own differentiated hybrid layouts, competing for global market share.

3. Solving the Pain Points: A "Magic Cure" for Hybrid Drawbacks

However, hybrid vehicles carry the "original sin" of "short - lived batteries", which causes commuting troubles for consumers around the world.

The pain points include short range, slow energy replenishment, and severe battery degradation. Due to the small battery capacity (usually only 15 - 20kWh), hybrid vehicle owners need to charge their cars every day, or even multiple times a day. Frequent charging and discharging can lead to a 30% degradation in two years, while the average degradation rate for pure - electric vehicles is only 15%.

The experience of Wang Chao (a pseudonym), a Beijing car owner, is very representative. His domestic range - extender hybrid vehicle, which he has owned for more than five years, has suffered such severe battery degradation that the battery needs to be replaced. When he called the 4S store, he was told that the cost of replacing the battery was 120,000 yuan, "more expensive than half of the car!"

The 4S store immediately switched from "after - sales" to "pre - sales" and said, "You might as well buy a new car. It's more cost - effective than replacing the battery. There are also many subsidies available for new car purchases now..." This left Wang Chao speechless.

Now, these pain points of short range, slow energy replenishment, and severe battery degradation are being precisely cured by technological "magic cures." CATL, which ranks first in the global power battery market share, has launched the Xiaoyao Super Hybrid Battery with a pure - electric range of over 400KM and 4C super - charging capabilities, providing a solution to the "ailments" of hybrid vehicle batteries.

Photo: Xiaoyao Super Hybrid Battery. Source: Screenshot from Internet's New Energy View

The first "medicine" is "fuel - saving and long pure - electric range", which addresses the short - range issue. Hybrid technology was theoretically developed to solve range anxiety during long - distance driving or in areas with inconvenient charging facilities. However, due to the limitations of the dual - power architecture in battery design, the pure - electric range is relatively short, and users still need to charge frequently, which is its main drawback.

The Xiaoyao Battery, through innovative material technology and design, achieves a pure - electric range of 400 kilometers, making the performance of hybrid vehicles in pure - electric mode closer to that of pure - electric vehicles. With this advantage, users hardly need the assistance of the range - extender during daily commuting, significantly improving the user experience.

The second "medicine" is "low - temperature resistance", which addresses battery degradation. By using a combination of sodium - ion batteries and lithium - ion batteries (AB battery system), the sodium - ion batteries have less performance degradation in low - temperature environments, significantly improving the overall range stability. The all - temperature battery management system can accurately predict power consumption in high - and low - temperature environments, avoiding power performance degradation due to temperature changes. It can discharge at - 40°C, charge at - 30°C, and provide a driving experience at - 20°C that is no different from that at normal temperatures.

The third and most revolutionary "medicine" is the "refueling - like charging" experience, which addresses slow energy replenishment. Slow charging speed has always been a pain point for plug - in hybrid vehicle users. The Xiaoyao Battery's 4C super - charging can charge the battery from 20% to 80% in just 17 minutes, adding 200 kilometers of range. This means that your vehicle can be