Key numbers | ||
Electric range, as quoted | 110–430 km | Five SUVs, no shared test |
Same car, two tests | 20% | Li Auto L9: 420 km CLTC, 350 km WLTC |
Electric share of range | 12.4–27.1% | The rest is petrol |
In Gulf heat | ▼ 100–130 km | Expected from a quoted 150 km |
Key takeaways
Eight SUVs that pair a large battery with a petrol engine appeared in our coverage between 14 September and 6 October: four range extenders, three plug-in hybrids and the FREELANDER 8.
Claimed electric range runs from 110 km (FREELANDER 8) to 430 km (XPENG GX), but the figures sit on five different test labels and cannot simply be ranked.
The same Li Auto L9 is quoted at 420 km on the CLTC cycle and 350 km on WLTC, a gap of 20%.
Only 12.4% to 27.1% of each headline range is electric. The other 710 km to 1,155 km is driven on petrol.
In Gulf heat, our Qatar guide expects a quoted 150 km to become 100–130 km. Whether you can charge every day decides whether these cars save fuel.
Cars in this article
A fuel tank is back on the options list
Battery-only cars are not the story of this autumn's launches. In three weeks of YallaMotor coverage, eight new SUVs appeared that carry both a large battery and a petrol engine. Four are range extenders and three are plug-in hybrids. The eighth, the FREELANDER 8, is described by its makers as a dedicated hybrid with 110 km of electric driving.
The two main types work differently. In a range extender, electric motors always turn the wheels and the petrol engine does nothing but generate electricity once the battery runs low. Many plug-in hybrids can also let the engine drive the wheels directly.
They arrive as every UAE petrol grade passes AED 4 a litre, which sharpens the obvious question: how far does each one go before it burns any?
Model | Where | Type | Battery (kWh) | Electric range (km) | Total range (km) | Test label |
Li Auto L9 | UAE | Range extender | 72.7 | 350 | 1,370 | WLTC |
XPENG GX | Shown in Dubai | Range extender | 63.3 | 430 | 1,585 | CLTC, China spec |
GAC GS7 PHEV | UAE, Qatar | Plug-in hybrid | 36.3 | 150 | 1,020 | CLTC for total |
Deepal G318 | Qatar | Range extender | 35.07 | 138 | 848 | WLTC |
FREELANDER 8 | Revealed in Abu Dhabi | Hybrid, large battery | 34.12 | 110 | 886 | Combined cycle |
The five models whose battery size, electric range and total range are all stated in our coverage. Ranges are manufacturer claims on the test label shown and are not comparable across labels.
How far on electricity: 110 km to 430 km, as quoted
On paper the spread is wide. XPENG lists 430 km of electric range for the GX and Li Auto 350 km for the L9. The GAC GS7 PHEV is quoted at 150 km, the Deepal G318 at 138 km and the FREELANDER 8 at 110 km.
Electric range as quoted: 110 km to 430 km
Claimed electric-only range, each on the test label its maker used. The labels differ, so this is not a ranking.
Item | Electric range |
|---|---|
XPENG GX (CLTC, China spec) | 430 km |
Li Auto L9 (WLTC) | 350 km |
GAC GS7 PHEV (no label) | 150 km |
Deepal G318 (WLTC) | 138 km |
FREELANDER 8 (combined) | 110 km |
Source: Manufacturer claims as reported in YallaMotor coverage, 14 September to 6 October 2026.
Those five figures do not share a test. The L9 and G318 numbers are WLTC. The GX number is CLTC and comes from XPENG's Chinese-market specification, not a UAE one. The FREELANDER 8 is quoted on an unnamed combined cycle, and the GS7's electric figure carries no label at all.
Watch out
Why the label matters
Our own articles warn that these figures are not interchangeable. Add the iCAUR V27's NEDC total and the WLTP claim on the GX's Dubai showroom board, and the eight models are quoted on five different test labels.
One car, two answers
The Li Auto L9 shows how far the test can move the number. Our launch report quoted 420 km of electric range and 1,650 km in total, both on CLTC. Two weeks later our trim guide quoted 350 km and 1,370 km on WLTC. It is the same UAE car.
One car, two answers: the Li Auto L9 on two test cycles
The same UAE car as quoted in two of our articles. The CLTC figures are about 20% higher than the WLTC ones.
Item | CLTC (launch report) | WLTC (trim guide) |
Electric range | 420 km | 350 km |
Total range | 1,650 km | 1,370 km |
Source: Li Auto claims as reported by YallaMotor on 14 and 28 September 2026.
That is 70 km of electric range, and 280 km of total range, that exist on one test and not on the other. The CLTC figures are 20.0% and 20.4% higher.
YallaMotor analysis
An example, not a conversion
One car cannot set a rule for all of them, so we have not converted any figure. What the L9 does show is that a fifth of a headline range can come from the choice of test. Put a CLTC number beside a WLTC one and the CLTC car starts with that advantage.
On YallaMotor
Compare the electric, plug-in and range-extender models on sale in the UAE.
Most of the headline range is petrol
The four-figure totals in the launch material mostly describe the fuel tank. Electric driving accounts for 12.4% of the FREELANDER 8's total range, 14.7% of the GS7's, 16.3% of the G318's, 25.5% of the L9's and 27.1% of the GX's.
How much of the headline range is electric
Electric range as a share of the total range each maker quotes.
Item | Electric share |
XPENG GX | 27.1% |
Li Auto L9 | 25.5% |
Deepal G318 | 16.3% |
GAC GS7 PHEV | 14.7% |
FREELANDER 8 | 12.4% |
Source: YallaMotor calculation from manufacturer claims; each model on its own test label.
Put the other way round, between 710 km and 1,155 km of each quoted range is covered after the battery is spent, with the engine running. The GS7's share mixes an unlabelled electric figure with a CLTC total, so treat it as approximate.
Far bigger batteries than a regular hybrid
What separates these cars from an ordinary hybrid is the battery. The five range from 34.12 kWh in the FREELANDER 8 to 72.7 kWh in the L9. The OMODA O5 HEV, a regular hybrid that also launched in the UAE this autumn, has 1.8 kWh.
Battery size: 34 kWh to 73 kWh, against 1.8 kWh in a regular hybrid
Battery capacity of the five SUVs in the table and of the OMODA O5 HEV, a hybrid that is not plugged in.
Item | Battery |
Li Auto L9 | 72.70 kWh |
XPENG GX | 63.30 kWh |
GAC GS7 PHEV | 36.30 kWh |
Deepal G318 | 35.07 kWh |
FREELANDER 8 | 34.12 kWh |
OMODA O5 HEV (hybrid) | 1.80 kWh |
Source: Manufacturer figures as reported in YallaMotor coverage.
So the smallest battery here is 19.0 times the size of that hybrid's, and the largest 40.4 times. Claimed range per kWh runs from 3.2 km for the FREELANDER 8 to 4.8 km for the L9. The GX's 6.8 km is a CLTC figure, the label the L9 shows to be the more generous.
A battery of that size only earns its keep if it is charged. Our explainer makes the point directly: run a range extender mostly on its generator and its fuel use begins to resemble a petrol SUV's.
What Gulf heat and a daily commute do to the numbers
Laboratory range is not summer range. For the GS7 PHEV, our Qatar guide expects the quoted 150 km to fall to 100–130 km in day-to-day use once heat, air conditioning and motorway speeds are counted. That is a cut of 13.3% to 33.3%.
To see what the claims mean across a working week, take an illustrative round trip of 60 km a day and divide each electric range by it.
Li Auto L9: 5.8 days of commuting per charge on its WLTC figure.
GAC GS7 PHEV: 2.5 days as quoted, or 1.7 days at the low end of our Gulf-heat estimate.
Deepal G318: 2.3 days on its WLTC figure.
FREELANDER 8: 1.8 days on its combined-cycle figure.
SOUEAST S08 DM: about 1.4 days at the lower end of its 85–89 km.
Tip
The question to ask before the range
Can you plug in at home or at work on most days? If you can, even the shortest range here covers our 60 km example without petrol. If you cannot, our Qatar guide is blunt: a plug-in hybrid then loses much of the reason to buy it.
What they cost, and what is still missing
Prices span a wide band. In the UAE the SOUEAST S08 DM costs AED 113,500, the GS7 PHEV starts at AED 159,900, the Jetour G700 TopFire at AED 229,000 and the L9 at AED 319,900. The L9 costs AED 160,000 more than the GS7 and carries 2.0 times its battery.
Model | Where | Type | Price | Range figures in our coverage |
SOUEAST S08 DM | UAE | Plug-in hybrid | AED 113,500 | About 85–89 km electric; no battery size or total |
Jetour G700 TopFire | UAE | Plug-in hybrid | From AED 229,000 | No range or battery figure in our report |
iCAUR V27 | Egypt | Range extender | From EGP 1,900,000 | About 1,000 km total (NEDC); electric range not stated |
Three more SUVs from the same coverage. Our articles give a price for each but not a full set of range figures.
Our coverage gives no price yet for three of the eight: the XPENG GX, shown in Dubai on 30 September; the FREELANDER 8, revealed in Abu Dhabi on 29 September; and the Deepal G318 in Qatar, where the first batch is reported to have sold out before the launch ended.
None of the eight comes with a fuel-consumption figure for driving on a flat battery, so we cannot yet say what a kilometre costs once the electric range is used up. That is the number to ask a dealer for.
New cars on YallaMotor
Used cars on YallaMotor
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a range extender and a plug-in hybrid?
A range extender is driven by its electric motors at all times, and its petrol engine works purely as a generator. In many plug-in hybrids the engine can power the wheels as well. Both carry a battery big enough for everyday trips on electricity.
Which of the new SUVs goes furthest on electricity?
As quoted, the XPENG GX at 430 km, ahead of the Li Auto L9 at 350 km. But the GX figure is a Chinese-market CLTC number and the L9's is WLTC, so the pair is not a fair comparison. On CLTC, the L9 itself is quoted at 420 km.
Why does the Li Auto L9 have two different range figures?
Because two test cycles are in use. One of our articles gives CLTC figures and another gives WLTC figures for the same car, and the CLTC ones come out about 20% higher.
How much electric range will I get in Gulf summer heat?
Less than the brochure says. For one model, the GAC GS7 PHEV, our Qatar guide expects 100–130 km in daily use against a quoted 150 km. Our coverage holds no hot-weather test figure from any of the makers.
Do I have to charge a range-extender SUV?
It will drive without being charged, because the engine can generate electricity. But you would be carrying a large battery and barely using it, and fuel use would move towards that of a petrol SUV.
How we worked this out
We compared every SUV with a large battery and a petrol engine that appeared in YallaMotor coverage published between 14 September and 6 October 2026. All range and battery figures are manufacturer claims as reported in those articles; none is a YallaMotor measurement. Each range keeps the test label its source gives it, and we did not convert between labels. Electric share is electric range divided by total range. Range per kWh is electric range divided by battery capacity. Days per charge divide electric range by an illustrative daily round trip of 60 km. The XPENG GX figures are Chinese-market specifications. DENZA's B5 and B8 were left out because our report gives no electric range for them, and a Qatar registration statistic was excluded because its two numbers contradict each other.
Assumptions used in our calculations
Illustrative daily round trip: 60 km — A round figure for a working-day commute, used only to turn an electric range into days of driving. It is not a measured average.
Sources
Li Auto L9 Ultra and L9 Livis UAE: Price, Range and Full Specs · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 6 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
XPENG GX Takes Centre Stage at Dubai Range-Extender Workshop · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 6 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
2027 GAC GS7 PHEV Launched In UAE At AED 159,900 · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 5 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
GAC GS7 PHEV Qatar: QR129,900 Pre-Booking Guide, Specs and Expected Delivery · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 6 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
Deepal G318 Qatar: Price, Specs and Why the First Batch Sold Out Before Launch · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 6 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
What Is an Extended-Range EV (EREV)? The Powertrain Behind Li Auto, Deepal and iCAUR in the Gulf · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 5 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
FREELANDER Begins Its Global Journey in the UAE with the Reveal of FREELANDER 8 · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 7 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
SOUEAST S08 Luxury UAE: The AED 99,900 Seven-Seater With a 10-Year, Million-Kilometre Warranty · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 7 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
Jetour G700 TopFire Launched In UAE: Price, Specs & Off-Road Features · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 7 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
iCAUR V27 Egypt: The EGP 1.9 Million Range-Extender SUV, Its Warranty and Whether It Makes Sense · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 6 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
Li Auto L9 Launched In UAE: Price, Specs, Range & Technology · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 6 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
Petrol Price in UAE October 2026: Fuel Prices in UAE Today · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 6 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
OMODA O5 HEV Officially Launches in UAE With Up to 1,000km Range · YallaMotor article · Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 7 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
Every figure on this page links to the source it came from. Judgement and recommendations are labelled YallaMotor analysis.
