Scaling up adoption of electric cars has proven difficult because cities are struggling to make costly investments in their electric infrastructure to ensure that new charging stations can handle powering-up vehicle batteries at scale.
Even Germany's RΓΌsselsheim, home to car maker Opel, needed to apply for state aid to build 1,300 charging stations.
Hybrid vehicles have the ability to recharge the electric battery while operating in combustion-engine mode - a function that eases customer anxiety about limited operating range and takes pressure off cities to expand charging infrastructure.
BMW's new hybrids will have the cut-off function from 2020 onwards.
Cities, including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, say the function has proven to be an effective way to cut pollution.
