Hybrid badges are everywhere these days, but the technology underneath varies a lot more than the marketing suggests. OMODA & JAECOO's SHS platform sits at the more interesting end of that range. Here's what the acronym means and what the engineering actually does.

What does SHS stand for?

SHS is short for Super Hybrid System. It's the brand name OMODA & JAECOO use across their hybrid lineup, covering both self-charging hybrids and plug-in hybrids. The badge tells you what drives the car, but not whether plugging in is required — that depends on the model.

The four modes doing the work

At the heart of SHS is a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) that lets the car switch between four modes on the fly. Full Electric vehicles run on the battery alone. Series Hybrid uses the engine as a generator. Parallel Hybrid combines engine and motor power. Energy Recovery captures braking energy and feeds it back to the battery.

You don't pick the mode. The car does, hundreds of times a drive, based on speed, load, battery state and what your right foot is doing. The result is petrol economy that looks more like a small hatch than a mid-size SUV, with the characteristic instant torque of an electric drivetrain.

Self-charging or plug-in: the two flavours

The OMODA C5 SHS is a self-charging hybrid. Its 1.83 kWh battery is topped up by the engine and regenerative braking as you drive. No cable, no charging routine, no infrastructure to worry about. You fill up with petrol and the car handles the rest.

The C7 SHS, C9 SHS and J7 SHS are plug-in hybrids. Bigger batteries, much longer electric range and a charge port. You can plug in at home overnight, allowing you to run on electricity most of your week and only burn petrol on longer trips. Both approaches save fuel. They just save it in different ways.

The SHS lineup at a glance

OMODA C5 SHS. The entry point. Self-charging, 165 kW combined output and a claimed 4.9 L/100 km. Compact, efficient, no plugging in required.

OMODA C7 SHS. The family-sized plug-in. 255 kW combined, 105 km of pure electric range and a 1 200 km combined range on a full tank and charge. Quiet cabin, brisk acceleration, eye-opening fuel efficiency.

OMODA C9 SHS. The OMODA flagship. A tri-motor AWD PHEV pushing 440 kW and 915 Nm, with 150 km of electric range and a 0-100 km/h time of 4.9 seconds. Combined range tops 1 100 km, with fuel consumption of 6.9 L/100 km when the battery is empty. Three charging options: home plug (2.8 kW ~12 hours full charge), wall box (6.6 kW ~5.5 hours) and DC flash charger (70 kW, 30 to 80% ~25 minutes).

JAECOO J7 SHS. SHS in JAECOO form. 255 kW combined, 525 Nm, 90 km electric range, 18.3 kWh battery and 4.7 L/100 km fuel efficiency. DC fast charging takes the battery from 30% to 80% in just 20 minutes.

Why SHS suits our roads

SHS was built around a simple problem: pure electric remains problematic for South African drivers. Charging infrastructure is patchy outside the larger centres, range anxiety is real on a Cape Town to Joburg run and the threat of load shedding still looms large in our minds. Petrol-only cars, meanwhile, leave you fully exposed to the next fuel hike.

The self-charging C5 SHS delivers 4.9 L/100 km without changing a thing about how you drive. A plug-in C7, C9 or J7 SHS allows you to do most of your weekday driving on electricity and only use petrol for the long stretches. Either way, the next fuel increase suddenly doesn't seem as threatening anymore.

A warranty that seals the deal

Every SHS model in the OMODA & JAECOO ranges carries a 10-year/1 000 000 km engine warranty and a 10-year/unlimited km battery warranty for first owners. For anyone still wary of a newer brand, that kind of cover should offer complete peace of mind.

Don't take our word for it though

The full SHS lineup is on the floor at OMODA & JAECOO Sandton, Melrose Arch and Northcliff. Book a test drive in whichever model matches your daily run and feel the difference the Super Hybrid System can make to your drive.