Yes, we realise the irony as well. As the Lunar New Year welcomes the year of the fire horse, a powertrain company called Horse Powertrain has revealed a new hybrid powertrain concept that can operate on 100% renewable fuel. The company is a joint venture between Geely, Renault Group and Aramco. Following the powertrain’s reveal,
Yes, we realise the irony as well. As the Lunar New Year welcomes the year of the fire horse, a powertrain company called Horse Powertrain has revealed a new hybrid powertrain concept that can operate on 100% renewable fuel. The company is a joint venture between Geely, Renault Group and Aramco.
Following the powertrain’s reveal, the company has stated the first demonstrator vehicle to run on it will also be revealed in early 2026 for testing.
Horse Powertrain was established in 2024 and positioned as a supplier combining the internal combustion and hybrid powertrain operations of Geely and Renault. The duo both hold a 45% stake each, with the remaining 10% belonging to Aramco.
Among its customers are obviously Geely and Renault as well as Proton, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Volvo.
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Its latest powertrain is based on the Horse H12 hybrid engine concept that was jointly developed with Repsol, who provided the fully renewable fuel. It achieved peak brake thermal efficiency of 44.2% and returned fuel consumption figures of under 3.3 litres per 100 km under WLTP testing, or 40% below the 2023 European average for new cars.
A huge factor in the impressive figures is a high 17:1 compression ratio, reengineered exhaust gas recirculation system, improved turbo and hybrid-specific transmission calibration, as reported by Car News China. The changes combine to improve combustion efficiency and energy recovery.
Horse Powertrain claimed that a mid-sized vehicle with its powertrain would reduce CO2 emissions by around 1.77 tons per year over a conventional petrol car.
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The company currently operates 17 manufacturing plants and five research & development centres globally, serving as a key supplier of combustion and hybrid technologies for Geely and Renault associated vehicle platforms.
This powertrain aligns with the current global direction of carmakers which is focussing on development across multiple propulsion fronts, such as hybrid and battery electric vehicles to suit regional infrastructure and demands as well as market regulations.