This Tiny All-In-One Combo Can Turn EVs Into Hybrids In No Time

Horse Powertrain’s latest solution packs a four-cylinder engine, a transmission, and two electric motors into a single enclosure.

Horse Powertrain X-Range C15 Direct Drive

Photo by: HORSE Powertrain

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Apr 20, at 7:41am ET

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Renault and Geely’s Horse Powertrain has come up with an all-in-one solution that turns EVs into hybrids, PHEVs, or EREVs.
Dubbed the X-Range C15 Direct Drive, it was designed to replace the rear electric motor of an EV.
It packs a four-cylinder gas engine, a transmission, and two electric motors.

Well-versed EV enthusiasts will remember a time when car manufacturers shoehorned electric powertrains into cars that were originally designed for gas engines. Well, now we’re going the other way around, with companies figuring out how to add gas engines to EVs to cut their losses as the car market goes through yet another transition.

As Honda, Afeela, and Stellantis know too well, designing a bespoke EV platform from the ground up and then pulling the plug will result in billions of dollars going down the drain. But there are now solutions out there that could have prevented Honda’s 0 Series EVs from going the way of the dodo.

Renault and Geely’s Horse Powertrain has revealed an all-in-one solution that can transform EVs into hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or extended-range EVs with minimal investments and changes to a car’s architecture.

Horse Powertrain X-Range C15 Direct Drive

Photo by: HORSE Powertrain

Dubbed the X-Range C15 Direct Drive, it incorporates a four-cylinder gas engine, a transmission, and two electric motors into a single flat enclosure that was designed to replace the rear electric motor of an EV. That’s similar to what Scout Motors is doing with the Terra and Traveler EREVs, where the gas generator sits at the rear to reduce noise and vibration.

The two electric motors on Horse’s new system are installed in a P1+P3 configuration, with a small unit fitted at the end of the engine’s crankshaft and a bigger motor at the transmission’s output shaft. The 1.5-liter gas engine can be specced as a naturally-aspirated lump with a 94-horsepower (70-kilowatt) output or a turbocharged model that makes 161 hp (120 kW).

The P1 motor’s main job is to act as a generator for the high-voltage battery, both in serial and parallel modes. With an NA engine, it can send up to 70 kW of power to the high-voltage battery, and up to 110 kW for the turbocharged version. Meanwhile, the P3 motor’s job is to provide electric traction to the rear wheels, either on its own or in conjunction with the gas engine.

Horse Powertrain’s new setup can also be integrated into an all-wheel drive configuration where the front wheels are powered by another electric motor and the rear wheels. The company claims that the rear axle integration of its new solution makes it easier to route the gas engine’s exhaust and after-treatment systems, maximizing floor space for batteries under the passenger compartment.

Horse Powertrain X-Range C15 Direct Drive

Photo by: HORSE Powertrain

The C15 Direct Drive comes fully equipped with the power electronics required for a hybrid powertrain. It can also be integrated with additional systems like a DC-to-DC converter, an on-board charger for PHEVs and EREVs, and an 800-volt charging booster.

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It’s quite an interesting solution that comes at the right time for automakers that have been bruised by the latest round of geopolitical bingo. It allows car companies to integrate gas engines into their bespoke EVs and build them on the same assembly line, keeping costs down. Brands can also play the range card, which may alleviate some customers’ anxieties.

This is the latest addition to Horse Powertrain’s hybridization solution portfolio. The C15 Direct Drive comes after the F15, another all-in-one powertrain that was designed to replace the front drive unit of an EV, and the C15, which is an ultra-compact engine and generator combo that acts as a range extender.

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