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Add-on small gas engine extends EV range for OEMs

What may have sounded like a wacky idea five years ago when there was a push toward going full-on electric makes a lot of sense now. Horse Powertrain is trying to make it easy for battery electric vehicle (BEV) makers to build in extra mileage and turn their vehicles into hybrids by providing an add-on, briefcase-sized internal combustion engine (ICE) that could extend range by hundreds of miles -- and be more acceptable to customers.

The Horse C15 unit features a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and an integrated generator, inverter, and cooling package that is compact enough to be fitted within existing BEV platforms with little to no modification. This would make the BEV a range extended EV (REEV) hybrid. Hybrids are currently the fastest-growing electric platform in the United States.

Unlike traditional plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), the combustion engine of an REEV never directly drives the vehicle's wheels. Instead, the engine operates in its most efficient rev range, minimizing fuel consumption, emissions, and the noise, vibration, and harshness profile.

Currently, there are no announced plans to offer the C15 range extending unit as an aftermarket unit. That would be kind of weird after people spent extra money for an all-electric vehicle, but you never know!

Horse was established in May 2024 and is equally owned by Renault and Geely. It is focused on providing ICEs and hybrid systems. The company is headquartered in London and operates 17 plants and five R&D centers globally, serving a range of OEMs including Renault Group, Geely Auto, Volvo Cars, Proton, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

The Horse C15 range extender measures just 500 x 550 x 275 mm in its naturally aspirated version. It can be installed horizontally or vertically, which allows the unit to be placed in a BEV's front compartment or in the rear, unlocking exceptional flexibility in vehicle design. In all applications, this range extender maintains the charge level of the high-voltage battery, which is used to power the vehicle's electric drive motor. By using the Horse C15, the company says OEMs can add range directly to vehicles (distance depends on fuel tank used) or look at reducing the EV battery size, "delivering significant savings in cost and weight, and reduced pressure on the critical mineral supply chain."

Since an REEV uses an electric traction motor to power the wheels, it drives with the same smoothness and responsiveness as a BEV. The vehicle's battery can also be charged in a similar manner to a BEV, using a public charger or domestic power supply. When used with low-carbon fuels, this means that the cradle-to-grave footprint will be comparable to a BEV, according to Horse Powertrain.

Designed for Euro 7 compliance (including China 7 and SULEV20), Horse C15 will be available in naturally aspirated form for B- and C-segment vehicles, with maximum engine power up to 70 kW. For larger D-segment vehicles and light commercial vehicle (LCVs), the addition of a turbocharger increases power output up to 120 kW. The unit will be able to run on gasoline, ethanol and methanol flex fuels, and synthetic fuels.

Horse C15 is a compact range extender technology offering within Horse Powertrain's X-Range family. The X-Range family of systems enables automotive OEMs to use their BEV platforms as foundations for hybrid vehicle line-ups with minimal modification, leveraging Horse Powertrain's expertise over the full powertrain component stack to create tightly integrated systems that achieve best-in-class thermal, mass, and space efficiency.

A full-hybrid system is offered too
Horse is also going to offer its Future Hybrid System, an "all-in-one" hybrid powertrain that combines an engine, transmission, electric motor, and power electronics into a single system. It is meant to take the place of the vehicle's front drive unit. Horse considers this unit to be a flagship offering within the company's X-Range family "designed to enrich EV platforms with combustion and hybrid technology."

Two variants will be offered:

• Performance: A 740-mm-wide unit that employs two electric motors in a P1 + P3 configuration (one at the engine output shaft, and another at the transmission output shaft).
• Ultra-Compact: A 650-mm-wide unit that uses an electric motor in a P2 configuration (between the engine and transmission).

Both variants use a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and dedicated hybrid transmission. They also contain the full suite of power electronics required for hybrid powertrains. In addition, they can seamlessly integrate with systems like a DC/DC converter, on-board charger, and an 800-V charging booster to maximize performance at low voltages.

"Future Hybrid System is a perfect representation of what we are about as a company: freeing up the resources of automakers and OEMs that would otherwise be spent on reinventing powertrain categories," said Matias Giannini, CEO of Horse Powertrain. "By providing a frictionless way to broaden their line-ups on existing architectures, we allow OEMs to continue to dedicate all their resources on accelerating EVs while offering a way to maximize the return on their investment in EV vehicle platforms, reducing complexity and focusing on their differentiators in today's market: design, software, and full electrification."

Fitted in an east/west orientation, the Future Hybrid System features a "slimline" top with a wider profile at the bottom, ensuring compliance with the latest crash test requirements. The unique integration of the sub-systems enables reduction of the front overhang by as much as 150 mm versus a conventional hybrid powertrain.

Like BEV-native electric drive units, the powertrain is mounted directly to the vehicle's subframe. This maximizes re-use of BEV components and streamlines manufacturing, eliminating costly retooling and change processes.

The packaging advantages offered by the Future Hybrid System make it particularly well-suited to converting BEVs into all-wheel drive (AWD) REEVs. Traditionally, AWD REEVs would require placing an engine and generator on top of the front electric drive unit, which would make the powertrain too tall or long for the front compartment.

VIDEO: See inside a super modern engine factory: This is how they make 1 million engines per year. [Credit: Horse Technologies]

By contrast, the Future Hybrid System allows the easy conversion of a BEV platform into an AWD REEV in conjunction with a P4 motor (located near the rear axle), with no modifications required to the front compartment's other components or its shape. Further, Future Hybrid System's Performance variant can independently propel a vehicle on its own, providing a cost-effective front-wheel drive (FWD) hybrid solution.

Its compactness allows a vehicle to retain subsystems that are packaged in the front of a BEV platform but typically would not fit in the front of a hybrid. These include HVAC and air conditioning systems, particularly PFAS-free systems that require more packaging space than previous-generation air conditioning systems. This stands to significantly reduce the environmental impact of hybrids.

Horse says its Future Hybrid System will be coming in 2027.

Learn more at horse-powertrain.com.

Source: Horse Powertrain

Published September 2025

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