Horse Powertrain Unveils HORSE D20 Methanol Range Extender
Horse Powertrain, a global leader in low-emission hybrid and combustion powertrain solutions, has unveiled its new HORSE D20 Methanol range-extender powertrain.
The company first showed the HORSE D20 Methanol at the Beijing Auto Show 2026. Engineers designed this range extender powertrain for range-extended EVs (REEVs), where it serves as a reserve power source to recharge the vehicle's battery. The powertrain outputs up to 105kW, weighs just 170kg, and combines a motor, power electronics, and a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
The HORSE D20 Methanol engine runs on 100% methanol. It features a range of cutting-edge technologies, including a 240 mJ high-energy ignition system that enables ultra-lean methanol combustion in the engine cylinders. These technologies boost fuel economy and enable the engine to start on pure methanol at temperatures as low as -35°C. The powertrain's NOx emissions meet China's CN6b standard of 35mg/kWh and consequently satisfy the Euro 7 standard of 60mg/km.
An all-new generator architecture sits at the heart of the powertrain, taking the form of an axial flux motor mounted directly on the engine crankshaft. Traditional radial-flux motors position the rotor as a cylinder nested within the stator. In contrast, axial-flux architectures instead stack the rotor and stator as disks on top of one another. The HORSE D20 Methanol's axial flux motor uses a "yokeless" design, with two rotors surrounding a single stator.
Compared with an equivalent radial-flux motor, this new axial-flux motor is 46% shorter. It delivers 63% more kW per unit volume, opening up a range of packaging opportunities and efficiencies. The motor also achieves an extremely high electrical efficiency of 96.4%, thanks to solutions such as an embedded silicon carbide power module that minimises electrical losses.
By combining engine efficiency with advanced electrical systems, the HORSE D20 Methanol delivers unprecedented fuel economy. In lab testing, the powertrain achieves a 47% fuel-to-energy conversion ratio, producing 1kWh of electrical energy for every 2.1kWh of methanol burned. As a result, the HORSE D20 Methanol can fully recharge a 40kWh EV battery using just 19.6L of fuel.
Fortune Zhao, CTO of Horse Powertrain, said: "The HORSE D20 Methanol is one of our boldest statements of intent, so in addition to reflecting our commitment to alternative fuels through its central methanol engine and offering a flexible mobility solution range-extender powertrain, the HORSE D20 Methanol is a platform for a range of advanced technologies to deliver an efficient powertrain. This can be seen in our use of an axial flux motor to achieve the necessary width and volumetric power density for the unit, marking one of the first uses of the technology in a mass-market automotive powertrain."
