For hybridising BEV platforms
Horse Powertrain, a specialist in innovative and low-emission powertrain systems, is set to reveal a new ‘all-in-one’ powertrain, the X-Range C15 Direct Drive, at the Beijing Auto Show 2026
The X-Range C15 Direct Drive integrates a hybrid powertrain, including a 4-cylinder engine, transmission, power electronics, and an electric motor, into a single compact unit with a shared housing, designed to mount to the rear subframe, enabling a double-isolated installation for best NVH.
The X-Range C15 Direct Drive is a compact ‘all-in-one’ powertrain, designed to replace the rear electric drive unit of an existing BEV platform, enabling automakers to use a single shared platform for the BEV, HEV, PHEV, and REEV lineups without making significant changes to vehicle design or production environments.
The new powertrain is in Horsepowertrain’s X-Range family, a toolkit for adding hybrid capability to dedicated BEV platforms, providing automakers with the option to substitute the rear electric drive units of their vehicles. It adds to the Horse F15 and Horse C15 systems.
The X-Range C15 Direct Drive includes a 4-cylinder, 1.5L engine that can be installed in a naturally aspirated configuration for lower-power applications, such as B- and C-segment vehicles, or with a turbocharger for larger D-segment vehicles and LCVs. The naturally aspirated engine can produce up to 70kW, while the turbocharged engine can produce 120kW.
The powertrain integrates the engine with a dedicated hybrid transmission and a set of electric motors in a shared housing with a flat profile. The two motors are installed in a P1 and P3 configuration, with one integrated at the end of the engine’s crankshaft and the other at the transmission’s output shaft.
The P1 motor primarily operates as a generator in both serial and parallel modes. As a generator, it can produce 70kW for the X-Range C15 Direct Drive’s naturally aspirated variant, and 110kW for the turbocharged variant. Whereas the P3 motor is intended to provide electric traction to the vehicle, either independently of the engine in serial mode or together with the engine in parallel mode. The direct connection between the engine and the wheel in parallel mode improves the total system's efficiency compared to alternative range-extended or pure-serial mode hybrid solutions.
The X-Range C15 Direct Drive can either fully power the rear wheels of a vehicle or support an all-wheel-drive vehicle when used in conjunction with another electric drive unit on the vehicle’s front axle.
The package location on the rear axle enables compact integration of the exhaust and after-treatment systems at the rear of the car, increasing floor space for batteries or the passenger compartment.
The X-Range C15 Direct Drive includes the full suite of power electronics required for a modern hybrid powertrain, and can integrate with supplementary systems such as a DC/DC converter, an on-board charger, and an 800V charging booster.
Matias Giannini, chief executive officer of Horse Powertrain, said, “The X-Range family of powertrains is about reflecting today’s market realities, allowing automakers to pivot from BEVs to hybrids and range extenders on a single platform, quickly and at scale. The X-Range C15 Direct Drive is an ‘all-in-one’ powertrain, allowing BEV platforms to be converted to HEVs, PHEVs, and REEVs with little redesign or tooling changes required, dramatically reducing time-to-market, amortising BEV investments, and catering to the diverse array of mobility needs in today’s global market.”
