At 2025 Shanghai auto show, Renault-Geely JV Horse shows kit to convert EVs to hybrids
Horse Powertrain[1], the Renault[2]-Geely[3] joint venture that develops and builds combustion engines, has developed a concept that lets automakers convert electric vehicle platforms to hybrids.
Horse Powertrain said the Future Hybrid Concept can help automakers hybridize BEV platforms to meet changing customer demand, as EV sales stall in some markets, as well as eliminate the need for multiple platforms and production lines.
The joint venture is showing the concept at the Shanghai auto show[4], which runs from April 25 to May 2. Advertisement Advertisement
The first vehicles with the technology could be on the road by 2028, Horse Powertrain said in a news release, although it did not say if it had any commitments from customers.
"For over a decade it looked like battery electric vehicles were the only path to net zero, and OEMs planned accordingly," Horse Powertrain CEO Matias Giannini said in the release. "However, we're now shifting towards a technology-neutral world, with different markets and applications each pursuing their own sustainable mobility journey."
Sign up for the Automotive News Europe Focus on Technology weekly newsletter, looking at advancements in all aspects of the vehicle including performance, autonomous driving, batteries and more.[5]
The Future Hybrid Concept includes an internal combustion engine, electric motor and transmission.
It can support gasoline, biofuels and synthetic fuels. Advertisement Advertisement
The modular powertrain unit will fit in existing EV platforms as a replacement for front electric drive unit, as well as in traditional combustion-engine platforms.
It bolts directly to the subframe without significant redesign.
The Future Hybrid Concept will fit in an existing EV platform and replaces the front electric drive unit, Horse Powertrain says.
The combustion engine serves as a range extender to the existing battery rather than driving the wheels directly. The transmission and driveshafts enable all-wheel drive in full-electric and parallel combustion-electric modes.
Extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, are popular in China and have started to make inroads in Europe. Horse Powertrain has already explored the technology[6] for new applications.
The Future Hybrid Concept module is small enough to fit in the front area of an EV-only platform.
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The module has a longitudinal orientation, and also includes power electronics (controller, inverter, DC/DC converter and onboard charger). It is able charge at 800 volts, Horse Powertrain said.
Horse Powertrain, which is based in London, includes all the combustion engine and powertrain operations of Renault Group as well as Geely, while a minority shareholder, Saudi Aramco, is focusing on alternative fuels.
Horse Powertrain has said it expects to build about 5 million engines a year; in the future, it plans to develop common powertrains to save money.
It has about 19,000 employees in 17 factories.
The joint venture, in which Renault and Geely each hold a 45 percent stake and Aramco 10 percent, announced its first contract for an extended-range EV last September.
It is based on a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine and will be installed in a small bus for the South American market.
References
- ^ Horse Powertrain (www.autonews.com)
- ^ Renault (www.autonews.com)
- ^ Geely (www.autonews.com)
- ^ Shanghai auto show (www.autonews.com)
- ^ Sign up for the Automotive News Europe Focus on Technology weekly newsletter, looking at advancements in all aspects of the vehicle including performance, autonomous driving, batteries and more. (www.autonews.com)
- ^ already explored the technology (www.autonews.com)