Horse Powertrain Unveils Future Hybrid System at IAA 2025
Horse Powertrain, a leader in innovative and low-emission powertrain systems, will unveil the detailed specifications of its Future Hybrid System powertrain at the IAA Summit 2025, enabling OEMs to hybridise battery electric vehicle (BEV) platforms.
Future Hybrid System is a revolutionary “all-in-one” hybrid powertrain that combines an engine, transmission, motor and power electronics in a single unit. Evolving the “Future Hybrid Concept” first shown this year at Auto Shanghai, it replaces a BEV’s front electric drive unit to offer an affordable, effective path to convert BEVs into hybrid EVs (HEVs), plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) and range-extended EVs (REEVs).
As a flagship of Horse Powertrain’s X-Range family, the system targets EV platforms that benefit from the addition of combustion and hybrid technology. At IAA, Horse Powertrain has revealed two variants. The Performance version measures 740 mm wide and employs two motors in a P1 plus P3 configuration, with one at the engine output shaft and another at the transmission output shaft. The Ultra-Compact version measures 650 mm in width and utilises a single motor in a P2 configuration, positioned between the engine and transmission. Both variants use a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine and a dedicated hybrid transmission. They include the full suite of power electronics required for hybrid powertrains and integrate seamlessly with a DC/DC converter, an on-board charger and an 800V charging booster to maximise performance at low voltages.
Matias Giannini, Chief Executive Officer of Horse Powertrain, says: “Future Hybrid System is a perfect representation of what we are about as a company: freeing up the resources of automakers and OEMs that would otherwise be spent on reinventing powertrain categories. By providing a frictionless way to broaden their line-ups on existing architectures, we allow OEMs to continue to dedicate all their resources to accelerating EVs while offering a way to maximise the return on their investment in EV vehicle platforms, reducing complexity and focusing on their differentiators in today’s market – design, software, and full electrification.”
Horse Powertrain is investigating additional Future Hybrid System variants to increase compactness, including three-cylinder options that could trim a further 70 mm from the unit’s width.
Installed in an east-west orientation, the system features a slimline top and a broader base that meets the latest crash-test requirements. By uniquely integrating the sub-systems, it can reduce front overhang by up to 150 mm compared with a conventional hybrid powertrain.
Like BEV-native electric drive units, the powertrain is mounted directly to the vehicle's subframe. This maximises re-use of BEV components and streamlines manufacturing, cutting costly retooling and changeovers.
These packaging advantages make Future Hybrid System particularly suited to converting BEVs into all-wheel drive (AWD) REEVs. Traditionally, engineers place an engine and generator on top of the front electric drive unit, which makes the powertrain too tall or too long for the front compartment.
By contrast, the Future Hybrid System enables the straightforward conversion of a BEV platform into an AWD REEV, in conjunction with a P4 motor located near the rear axle, with no changes to other front-compartment components or its shape. The Performance variant can also propel a vehicle independently, delivering a cost-effective front-wheel drive (FWD) hybrid solution.
Its compact layout lets a vehicle retain front-end subsystems common to BEV platforms that typically would not fit in hybrids. These include HVAC and air-conditioning systems, particularly PFAS-free systems that require more packaging space than previous-generation units, helping reduce the environmental impact of hybrids.
Ingo Scholten, Chief Technology Officer at Horse Powertrain, says: “Compared to traditional solutions, Future Hybrid System achieves an unprecedented degree of compactness: it’s shorter and narrower than any equivalent system on the market. Critically, this allows the Future Hybrid System to pack a full hybrid powertrain into spaces originally designed for electric drive units, which are mounted via the vehicle’s subframe. It also unlocks new opportunities for OEMs, such as all-wheel drive range-extended EVs in compact vehicles, or the use of PFAS-free air conditioning systems.”
Engineers have designed the Future Hybrid System for global use. A pre-chamber ignition system supports multiple fuels, including gasoline, E85 ethanol flex fuels, M100 methanol and synthetic fuels.
The future Hybrid System will arrive in 2027. Horse Powertrain will showcase the system at IAA Mobility 2025 on its stand in Hall A2, Booth B40. The company will host a press conference outlining its strategic vision and highlighting its key products at the IAA Summit press day on 8 September 2025, at 11:40 AM CEST.
