While the Japanese, mainly Toyota, invested and established hybrid propulsion with great expertise as an alternative for those who want to save on fuel but cannot or do not want to switch to electric cars, European manufacturers ignored the hybrid alternative for years, leaving this solution to the Japanese and Koreans. For them, it was simply easier, more convenient, and economical to continue producing diesel engines, view electricity as a long-term solution, and hope that the plug-in hybrid solution would be the ideal transition stage.
However, this did not turn out as expected in reality, and manufacturers found themselves facing a series of challenges. These included a downturn in demand for electric vehicles, changes in the timelines for the shift to electric, the need to produce an alternative to traditional gasoline cars while adhering to stricter emissions regulations, and the fact that plug-in hybrid solutions were too expensive to implement in every car and price range.
Toyota, which struggled for years in Europe, is now the second best-selling brand in EU countries thanks to its hybrid offerings. Hyundai and Kia are also gaining new customers because of them, and now Chinese brands are also joining the market, led by MG.
Reminder: A classic hybrid system allows the electric motor to drive the car for short distances and at low speeds, or during effortless cruising, or to boost the gasoline engine during acceleration. The battery is recharged through braking or from the gasoline engine.
A mild hybrid system is equipped with a smaller battery and a weaker electric motor, which only serves as an auxiliary engine. It is cheaper to produce, at the expense of fuel consumption.
A plug-in hybrid system is equipped with a significantly larger battery, which can be charged from an outlet, and is capable of driving tens of kilometers, and sometimes more, on electric power.
According to the British AutoCar website, the first "regular" Volkswagen hybrid will be the upcoming T-Roc, which is expected to be unveiled at the Munich Motor Show in September and will reach showrooms in 2026. Its hybrid system will also expand to other models within Volkswagen, such as the Golf, as well as other brands in the group, including the Skoda Octavia, Seat and Cupra Leon, and Audi A3. In fact, all models that use the MQB EVO platform.
The base will be the manufacturer's 1.5-liter turbo engine, to which an electric motor using a small battery will be added. This will be charged both by the gasoline engine and via regeneration. The power range is expected to overlap with that of regular gasoline engines and the stronger plug-in hybrids, meaning between 201 and 268 horsepower, depending on the model and the electric motor that boosts it.
As mentioned, the first model to use the manufacturer's hybrid engine will be the upcoming T-Roc. The model, which is expected to be fully revealed soon, was accidentally leaked when images of its exterior, as shown in the multimedia system, were published. It was estimated that it would adopt a plug-in hybrid system, which would integrate into the popularity of crossovers in general and in the manufacturer's model offerings. At the beginning of the year, Volkswagen published the data that 47% of the brand's sales are of crossovers, with the T-Roc being the second most popular after the Tiguan.