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Compact technology combines combustion engine, two electric motors, and transmission in a single module, allowing 100% electric platforms to be transformed into hybrids with greater autonomy without deep structural changes and with a focus on efficiency, industrial flexibility, and rapid adaptation of automakers to new demands of the global market.
Horse Powertrain announced the arrival of the X-Range C15 Direct Drive, a new compact hybrid assembly designed to be installed at the rear of originally electric platforms.
The proposal is to allow the same vehicle base to also give rise to **HEV, PHEV, and REEV** models, with few engineering changes and without major alterations to the production environment.
The system’s public debut was scheduled for the Beijing Auto Show 2026, where the company positioned the project as part of a strategy aimed at faster adaptation of automakers to different market demands.
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In practice, the new module was developed to replace the rear electric unit of an existing BEV and, with this, add hybrid capability to an architecture that was born as 100% electric.
Compact hybrid system transforms electric cars
The X-Range C15 Direct Drive brings together, in a single housing, a four-cylinder combustion engine, dedicated hybrid transmission, electric motors, and power electronics.
This integrated arrangement reduces volume, simplifies installation, and concentrates components that, in conventional applications, are usually separated in different areas of the vehicle.
According to Horse, the assembly was designed to be fixed to the rear substructure with double insulation installation, a solution highlighted by the company as a way to improve noise, vibration, and harshness control.
This positioning also favors the compact integration of the exhaust and after-treatment system at the rear, freeing up floor space for batteries or for the internal cabin space.
This is a central point of the product’s commercial proposal.
Instead of requiring a specific platform for each type of electrification, Horse argues that the same architecture can serve as a base for a broader range of vehicles, reducing the need for redesign and industrial reconfiguration.
The company frames the X-Range as part of a portfolio created precisely to expand the flexibility of native electric platforms.
1.5 turbo and naturally aspirated engine: power up to 163 hp
At the heart of the system is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, offered in two calibrations.
The naturally aspirated version is intended for lower power applications, such as B and C segment vehicles, while the turbocharged variant was designed for larger D segment models and also for light commercial vehicles.
In the figures released by the manufacturer, the naturally aspirated engine delivers up to 70 kW, equivalent to about 95 hp, while the turbo configuration reaches 120 kW, around 163 hp.
These values place the assembly in a range that allows it to serve from compact vehicles to heavier applications, without abandoning the logic of high compaction of the rear module.
Horse also informs that the system operates on an **800-volt** architecture, a relevant fact because it brings the product closer to the most modern electrification solutions.
Additionally, the set was designed to work with auxiliary systems such as DC/DC converter, on-board charger, and 800 V charging boost, expanding compatibility with projects of greater electrical sophistication.
Two electric motors ensure traction and power generation
Although the summary presentation highlights an electric motor integrated into the module, the detailed technical configuration released by the company shows that the system uses two electric motors in a P1 + P3 arrangement.
One of them is coupled to the crankshaft end of the combustion engine, while the other acts on the transmission’s output shaft.
In the scheme described by Horse, the **P1** motor primarily functions as a generator, operating in both serial and parallel modes.
In the naturally aspirated version, it can provide up to 56 kW, while in the turbo variant it reaches 110 kW.
The **P3** motor, on the other hand, is responsible for electric traction and exceeds 200 kW, capable of moving the vehicle alone under certain conditions or working in conjunction with the thermal engine.
This architecture allows the system to be used in two main ways.
In one of them, the set can be entirely responsible for the rear-wheel drive of a vehicle with an **RWD** proposal.
In the other, it can act as a complement in a model with another powertrain on the front axle, forming an **all-wheel drive** solution without requiring extensive structural reformulation of the platform.
Horse’s strategy expands the use of electric platforms
The main promise of the X-Range C15 Direct Drive lies less in isolated power and more in industrial versatility.
By replacing the rear electric unit of a BEV with this integrated hybrid module, the automaker gains the possibility of converting a platform previously dedicated to electric vehicles into a product family with different degrees of electrification.
This reasoning is explicitly stated in the company’s positioning.
Horse Powertrain CEO, Matias Giannini, stated that the X-Range family reflects current market conditions and allows manufacturers to quickly transition from purely electric projects to hybrids and range extenders using a single platform.
The company’s understanding is that this solution can shorten time-to-market and help amortize investments already made in BEV architectures.
The new unit joins two other products already presented in the same family.
The X-Range F15 Direct Drive was developed to replace the front electric unit of BEV platforms, while the X-Range C15 acts as an ultracompact range extender, integrating engine and generator for applications aimed at electric vehicles with extended range.
With this, Horse now offers a broader set of solutions for hybrid electrification derived from originally electric platforms.
At the current stage, however, the novelty is still presented from the manufacturer’s perspective and its strategy for the sector.
The company has disclosed the product’s architecture, power, intended application, and technical positioning, but has not yet detailed which specific models will adopt the system or when effective series production will begin for a particular automaker.
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