Horse Powertrain has introduced the briefcase-sized C15 range extender that integrates engine, generator, and inverter components to convert battery electric vehicles into range-extended EVs with flexible installation options and multi-fuel capability including synthetic fuels.
Horse Powertrain is unveiling its Horse C15 range extender technology at IAA Mobility in Munich, Germany, introducing what the company describes as an ultra-compact solution no larger than a briefcase that can transform BEV platforms into range-extended EVs with minimal modification. The system represents the company’s entry into the rapidly expanding range-extended EV market segment.
The Horse C15 integrates an engine, generator, and inverter into a compact unit measuring just 500 x 550 x 275 millimeters in its naturally aspirated version. The system is part of Horse Powertrain’s X-Range family, a category of solutions designed to enrich EV platforms with combustion and hybrid technology. According to the company, the compact dimensions allow original equipment manufacturers to easily and efficiently convert BEV platforms into range-extended EVs, enabling them to expand product lineups to meet local market demands.
Matias Giannini, CEO of Horse Powertrain, emphasized the market opportunity the technology addresses. “Range extended EVs are the fastest-growing powertrain category in many global markets,” Giannini said. “The Horse C15 range extender solution offers OEMs a straightforward and cost-effective way to tap into this opportunity, and adapt their native BEV platforms into REEVs.” He added that the company believes demand for range-extended EVs will continue to grow, with the C15 positioned as one of the market’s most efficient and flexible solutions while underlining the company’s commitment to supporting manufacturers in delivering a full range of EVs, hybrids, and combustion platforms.
The system features a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with an integrated generator, inverter, and cooling package. Horse Powertrain designed the C15 for horizontal or vertical installation, allowing the unit to be placed in either the front compartment or rear of a BEV, which the company says unlocks exceptional flexibility in vehicle design. The naturally aspirated version is designed for B- and C-segment vehicles with maximum engine power up to 70 kilowatts, while a turbocharged variant for larger D-segment vehicles and light commercial vehicles increases power output to 120 kilowatts.
Designed for Euro 7 compliance, including China 7 and SULEV20 standards, the Horse C15 will be capable of running on gasoline, ethanol and methanol flex fuels, and synthetic fuels. In all applications, the range extender maintains the charge level of the high-voltage battery that powers the vehicle’s electric drive motor. According to Horse Powertrain, using the C15 allows manufacturers to reduce EV battery size, delivering significant savings in cost and weight while reducing pressure on the critical mineral supply chain without impacting vehicle range.
The technology differs from traditional plug-in hybrid and hybrid EVs in that the combustion engine never directly drives the vehicle’s wheels. Instead, the engine operates in its most efficient rev range, which the company says minimizes fuel consumption and emissions while reducing noise, vibration, and harshness. Since a range-extended EV uses an electric traction motor to power the wheels, it drives with the same smoothness and responsiveness as a BEV, with the battery charged using public chargers or domestic power supplies similar to standard EVs. Horse Powertrain states that when used with low-carbon fuels, the cradle-to-grave footprint will be comparable to a battery electric vehicle.
The X-Range family of systems enables automotive manufacturers to use their battery EV platforms as foundations for hybrid vehicle lineups with minimal modification, leveraging Horse Powertrain’s expertise across the full powertrain component stack to create tightly integrated systems achieving what the company describes as best-in-class thermal, mass, and space efficiency. Along with the X-Range product family, Horse Powertrain will reveal its Fusion and One family of systems at IAA Mobility 2025, a range of complete plug-and-play hybrid powertrains featuring full combustion and electric propulsion. The company will debut the Horse C15 at Hall A2, Booth B40.
