Horse Technologies has revealed its integrated hybrid drive unit, the HR18 HEV, the first complete powertrain unit designed, developed and produced under the Horse Powertrain brand.
The HR18 HEV was developed at Horse Technologies R&D centers in Romania and Spain, and will be produced at its Bursa plant in Türkiye and Valladolid plant in Spain.
The hybrid powertrain combines key technologies from across Horse Technologies’ product portfolio to produce a solution that can power a range of mobility solutions. It combines a combustion engine, electric motor, transmission and power electronics.
Patrice Haettel, chief executive officer of Horse Technologies, said, “The HR18 HEV is the culmination of work by teams across Horse Technologies’ European network of plants and R&D centers, who have developed the key technologies for this project. It further strengthens our transition into a fully integrated powertrain partner for the automotive industry and reflects our team’s unwavering commitment to delivering a complete range of propulsion solutions.”
HR18 combustion engine
As well as the launch of the powertrain, Horse Powertrain has started production of its HR18 combustion engine – a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder gasoline direct-injection engine that weighs 100kg and delivers up to 80kW (108ps) of power and 172Nm of torque.
The HR18 is an Atkinson-cycle engine built specifically for use in hybrid powertrains and is compatible with flex fuel blends of up to 10% ethanol content. It fully complies with both Euro 6E-BIS and Euro 7 emissions standards. The HR18 engine was developed at the Horse Technologies’ Bucharest R&D center in Romania, and will be cast, machined and assembled at the company’s plants in Valladolid and Bursa.
BTA Gen2 lithium-ion battery
The HR18 HEV powertrain integrates a BTA Gen2 lithium-ion battery, developed at Horse’s Valladolid R&D center. Weighing 36kg, it can store up to 1.4kWh of energy and discharge at a peak rate of 11.6Ah, with a voltage range of 150-279V. The BTA Gen2 battery measures 707 x 422 x 190mm and includes two modules of 34 cells with an integrated cooling system.
Transmission and motor
The unit’s transmission is the clutchless DB45S gearbox manufactured in Seville, Spain, which can deliver a maximum torque of 436Nm. The powertrain also uses the Horse Technologies 5DH motor, produced at its plant in Aveiro in Portugal, with a peak power output of 50kW and peak torque of 212Nm.
Matias Giannini, chief executive officer of Horse Powertrain, said, “The HR18 HEV is designed directly to address challenges facing OEMs in today’s market. HEVs are becoming the most in-demand powertrain category in many markets, requiring many brands and OEMs to make significant investments in bolstering their HEV offering – all while they face unprecedented commercial pressures. By solving the major challenges involved in producing and integrating such a high-performance system, we’re freeing up our OEM partners to focus on their priority innovations and areas of differentiation.”
In related news, Horse recently begun production of its 1.3-liter, four-cylinder HR13 engine at its facility in Curitiba, Brazil. The flex fuel variant of the HR13 turbo engine can run on gasoline and ethanol blends and is fully compliant with L8 emissions standards. Read the full story here
