Horse Powertrain has unveiled the X-Range C15 Direct Drive at Beijing Auto Show 2026, an integrated hybrid powertrain that replaces the rear electric drive unit of BEV platforms. The unit packages a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, transmission, dual electric motors, and power electronics into a single housing, enabling BEV platforms to support HEV, PHEV, and REEV derivatives with minimal vehicle redesign.
Horse Powertrain, headquartered in London, UK, has revealed the X-Range C15 Direct Drive, an integrated hybrid powertrain designed to replace the rear electric drive unit of existing battery electric vehicle (BEV) platforms, enabling them to underpin hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs) with minimal modification to vehicle design or production tooling.
The system was unveiled at Beijing Auto Show 2026 on April 20 and is the latest addition to the company’s X-Range family — a toolkit aimed at allowing automakers to add hybrid capability to dedicated BEV platforms by substituting electric drive units.
The X-Range C15 Direct Drive packages a four-cylinder, 1.5-liter engine, transmission, power electronics, and two electric motors into a single shared housing with a flat profile, designed to mount to a vehicle’s rear subframe. Horse Powertrain says the dual-isolated mounting configuration is intended to optimize noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance.
The engine is available in two configurations: naturally aspirated, producing up to 70kW and targeted at B- and C-segment vehicles, and turbocharged, producing up to 120kW for D-segment vehicles and light commercial vehicles (LCVs).
The two electric motors are arranged in a P1 and P3 configuration. The P1 motor sits at the end of the engine’s crankshaft and functions primarily as a generator, producing 70kW in the naturally aspirated variant and 110kW in the turbocharged version. The P3 motor is mounted at the transmission’s output shaft and provides electric traction, operating either independently in serial mode or alongside the engine in parallel mode. Horse Powertrain states that the direct mechanical connection between engine and wheels in parallel mode improves total system efficiency compared with purely serial or range-extended hybrid architectures.
Depending on automaker requirements, the unit can drive the rear axle independently or work alongside a front electric drive unit in an all-wheel drive configuration. The rear-axle location also allows the exhaust and aftertreatment systems to be packaged at the rear of the vehicle, freeing up floor space for battery packaging or passenger cabin use.
The powertrain includes a full suite of power electronics and is designed to integrate with supplementary components including a DC/DC converter, an on-board charger, and an 800V charging booster.
The X-Range C15 Direct Drive joins two existing members of the X-Range family: the HORSE F15, which substitutes the front electric drive unit of a BEV platform, and the HORSE C15, an ultra-compact engine and generator that functions as a standalone range extender.
Matias Giannini, chief executive officer of Horse Powertrain, says: “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, amortizing BEV investments, and catering to the diverse array of mobility needs in today’s global market.”
Horse Powertrain will host a press conference at Beijing Auto Show on April 24, 2026, at 11:40 CST, in Hall A1, Booth A111.
