Horse Powertrain Future Hybrid Concept – ICE-hybrid modular powertrain to fit battery-electric vehicles

Horse Powertrain, a Geely-Renault joint venture has unveiled its Future Hybrid Concept, a modular powertrain concept that is designed to hybridise battery-electric vehicle platforms to yield an internal-combustion hybrid powertrain that fits into BEV platforms with minimal modifications.

This powertrain concept integrates an internal combustion engine, electric motor and transmission into a single unit, enabling automakers to “meet changing customer demand” and eliminate the need for multiple platforms across different powertrain types, the powertrain firm said.

Horse Powertrain says that the Future Hybrid Concept “has been designed to be used and operated anywhere in the world,” with a pre-chamber ignition system that supports the use of a range of fuels including petrol, E85 ethanol flex fuels popular in South America, M100 methanol that sees growing demand in China, India and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as synthetic fuels.

The Future Hybrid Concept can serve different electrification roles – it can serve as a range extender to the existing battery-electric powertrain, or it can be configured with its own transmission and driveshafts to operate as a parallel hybrid, said Horse Powertrain.

Its prescribed layout of an “east/west orientation”, or transverse layout suggests applications primarily of front-engine, front-wheel-drive layouts, and the firm said that the hybrid powertrain concept has been designed to have a ‘slimline’ top and wider profile at the bottom to ensure compliance with global safety and crash standards.

Also incorporated are power electronics comprised of a controller, inverter, DC/DC converter and on-board charger, as well as an 800-volt booster for fast charging.

“For over a decade it looked like battery-electric vehicles were the only path to net zero, and OEMs planned accordingly. However, we’re now shifting towards a technology-neutral world, with different markets and applications each pursuing their own sustainable mobility journey,” said Horse Powertrain CEO Matias Giannini.

“Through our innovation, we can deliver a full hybrid powertrain system that seamlessly integrates onto a battery electric vehicle platform. This compact, integrated powertrain concept allows OEMs to offer powertrain diversity with minimal disruption to production process and resource expenditure,” Giannini said.

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