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New Powertrain Easily Adds ICE to EVs
As the march to full electrification of the auto industry stumbles, a new hybrid system from Horse Powertrain could help carmakers on the road to zero emissions.
The Future Hybrid Concept from the U.K.-based company is a compact powertrain that combines an internal combustion engine, electric motor, and transmission into a single unit. The theory is that manufacturers who have sunk millions into EV platforms can simply slot this into their vehicles and appeal to a wider group of customers who are not quite ready to make the switch to pure electric.
“Horse Powertrain is focused on solving the biggest problems facing automotive OEM,” says Matias Giannini, CEO at Horse Powertrain. “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.
“Our Future Hybrid Concept helps OEMs solve this problem. 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.”
The system has been designed to replace the front electric drive unit of a battery EV by bolting to a vehicle’s front subframe and is claimed to all global crash safety standards. It could also replace a regular combustion engine, giving carmakers easy access to plug-in hybrid tech on existing vehicles.
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The FHC has been engineered to run on a range of fuels from regular gas, to ethanol mix, pure methanol and synthetic fuels, which would further reduce its carbon impact.
Horse is owned by Renault, Geely and Saudi Arabian energy company Aramco, so expect to see the FHC make its first appearance in vehicles from France and China.
Hmmm, a company working to make zero emissions more palatable owned by Saudi Arabian energy company Aramco. Sounds like the Wolf Henhouse Maintenance Company to me.
Hmm just leave out the EV and it would be fine. I hate hybrids.
Reading Horse’s press release, I know what market they are selling to, but what I see are the building blocks for a cost-optimized portable generator to fast charge EVs.
A power generator to replace the batteries is an idea I would rather see than our dependence on Lithium ION batteries.
Sounds more plausible than a ev only🤔