One tank, one full charge – 9 countries covered by OMODA 9 SHS

In earlier years when fuel consumption was a strong selling point to car-buyers (especially during the energy crises of the 1970s), the car companies would shout about the numbers as well as prove them in the real world. There were even competitive events called Economy Runs to achieve the lowest fuel consumption and sometimes, the numbers were incredible.

With advanced engine technologies like direct fuel injection and common-rail injection (for diesels), the consumption issue has not been highlighted as much. Sure, being able to go far on a litre of fuel is still appreciated and during times when fuel prices start going up, motorists do start to look for more economical cars. Then when the prices drop (as they often do), the concern diminishes and fuel consumption loses its importance.

Today, with electrified models, the concern is range – how far you can go on a fully charged battery, the equivalent of a full tank of fuel. The difference, however, is that where you could run out of fuel and probably get a ride to a nearby petrol station to bring back fuel, you can’t do the same with an EV. And it will be a long time before you can recharge the battery pack with a powerbank like the one you use for your phone.

With plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), the ‘range anxiety’ can be slightly less because the combustion engine does some of the work. However, as we have come to understand, it is not actually possible to run on just the engine alone in most PHEV models. To protect the battery, the system will shut down the whole powertrain in certain conditions when the fuel level is low and the battery is empty.

Be sure to refuel or recharge
So it’s advisable never to assume that you can still travel on when the battery is near zero and you still have a few litres of fuel left. Either fill up the tank with a lot of fuel so that charging can take place as the vehicle runs, or recharge the battery if a charging station is nearby.

While that is something to keep in mind, PHEVs can provide a very long range, up to double that of  the average fully electric vehicle today. The newer models can easily go 1,000 kms with a full tank of petrol as the electric motor does some of the propulsion, thus reducing the time the fuel-burning engine has to run.

OMODA | JAECOO UK recently organised a drive with its OMODA C9 SHS (Super Hybrid System) on the European continent and cover 9 countries on a fully charged battery and one tank of fuel. The drive began in the UK (from Dover) and went through France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria.

Drive modes optimise performance
The WLTP range of the OMODA 9 is around 1,127 kms and the OMODA 9 was able to go further – up to 1,175 kms with fuel still left in the 70-litre tank. The advanced SHS technology, with a 1.5-litre TGDI engine, dual electric motors and a 34.46 kWh battery, is credited with the achievement. With 6 drive modes, the drivetrain characteristics could be customised to run optimally in congested city conditions or motorways where constant high speeds are possible.

The OMODA 9, as a premium SUV, is designed for long-distance travel with comfort and quietness, the latter helped by acoustically optimised tyres and glass. There’s also 660 litres of luggage space, expandable to 1,783 litres when needed.

The OMODA 9 is also available in Malaysia as the OMODA C9 (priced from RM168.800), although at this time, the drivetrain is not PHEV and has a 2-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with FWD or AWD. It is a D-segment crossover SUV with a length of 4775 mm and a width of 1920 mm, which is about the size of the Chery TIGGO 8 Pro but not quite as large as a Proton X90.

Proven in local conditions too
The SHS is, however, available in the J7 PHEV which was launched in Malaysia at the end of February 2025. Priced from RM158,800 and assembled locally, its 18.3 kWh battery can provide up to 106 kms on just electric propulsion and a claimed range of 1,300 kms with a full tank and fully charged battery.

Prior to its launch in Malaysia, OMODA | JAECOO Malaysia had a long-distance run to confirm the factory claim in local conditions. The exercise was carried out with 5 vehicles which travelled from a Singapore all the way up the peninsular of Malaysia to Hat Yai, Thailand. On this very long drive, all the vehicles exceeded 1,200 kms (without recharging), with one even reaching 1,427.5 kms.

JAECOO J7 PHEV covers 1,300+ kms on single tank of fuel

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