Horse Powertrain's X-Range C15 named Hybrid Technology Solution of the Year at AutoTech Breakthrough Awards
Horse Powertrain's HORSE X-Range C15, an all-in-one range extender that turns existing BEV platforms into range-extended EVs, has won Hybrid Technology Solution of the Year at the 2026 AutoTech Breakthrough Awards.
- 120 kW
- 500 x 550 x 275 mm
- 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder
What Happened
Horse Powertrain has been recognised by AutoTech Breakthrough with the Hybrid Technology Solution of the Year Award for its HORSE X-Range C15 powertrain. The annual AutoTech Breakthrough Awards recognise the year's top innovations from suppliers, OEMs and startups operating across the automotive value chain, covering breakthroughs at every level including autonomous driving, cybersecurity, vehicle infrastructure, navigation and engine technology. For 2026, the AutoTech Breakthrough team named the HORSE X-Range C15 as the Hybrid Technology Solution of the Year.
The HORSE X-Range C15 is described as the world's first all-in-one, production-grade range extender specifically designed to transform existing BEV platforms into range-extended EVs. It integrates a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine with a generator, exhaust and thermal management system, delivering up to 120 kW in a compact, flat unit of just 500 x 550 x 275 mm. Because of its shape and degree of system integration, Horse Powertrain says the unit represents an entirely new powertrain category for automakers.
- Integrated engine-generator unit that allows existing BEV platforms to serve as foundations for range-extended EV models
- Combines a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine with a generator, exhaust and thermal management system
- Delivers up to 120 kW
- Compact, flat unit measuring 500 x 550 x 275 mm
- Described by Horse Powertrain as the world's first all-in-one, production-grade range extender
- Typically engineered into a vehicle from the start, with packaging and integration barriers that have limited adoption of range-extender technology
- Allows an existing BEV platform to be converted into a range-extended EV with minimal additional modifications to the wider vehicle
“We are incredibly proud to receive AutoTech Breakthrough's Hybrid Technology Solution of the Year award. The HORSE X-Range C15 represents so much of what our company is about: helping OEMs bridge the gap between their future technology ambitions and today's market realities. By allowing automakers to use their BEV platforms as foundations for range-extender models, the HORSE X-Range C15 allows OEMs to invest in electrification with more confidence than ever before, leveraging our unique full-spectrum expertise around hybrid powertrain technology.”
“By bridging the gap between EV and hybrid technologies in a simple, scalable, and production-ready solution, Horse Powertrain is helping redefine the future of electrified mobility. Many manufacturers are investing heavily in separate EV and hybrid platforms, creating substantial cost and resource burdens. Packaging and integration barriers have limited adoption of range-extender technology, and conventional range extenders are typically engineered into a vehicle from the start. The X-Range C15 enables manufacturers to expand their market reach, reduce development costs, and offer consumers greater choice. This creates an entirely new category of powertrain technology, giving automakers a practical and cost-effective pathway to serve diverse market demands while accelerating electrification.”
Horse Powertrain says the C15's shape and degree of system integration allow a dramatic reduction in line-up and production complexity, letting automakers maximise their return on their EV investments. The award organisation adds that the unit gives manufacturers a practical and cost-effective pathway to serve diverse market demands while accelerating electrification. The recognition was announced on 15 October 2026.
Previously from Horse Powertrain Limited
This is not the first industry recognition for Horse Powertrain's X-Range family: in June 2026 the company received the Sturmey Award at the 2026 Autocar awards for its X-Range family of hybrid and range-extender powertrains. Today's AutoTech Breakthrough honour recognises the same X-Range technology family.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Horse Powertrain Limited's official releases.
Why this matters
Industry awards are a signal of which technologies suppliers, carmakers and startups consider most promising, so they help readers judge where hybrid and electric line-ups may be heading. For automakers, the C15 is pitched as a way to reuse existing BEV platforms and cut development cost and complexity, while for buyers it points toward more range-extended electric models.
Terms in This Story
- Range extender
- An on-board engine and generator that produces electricity to extend an electric vehicle's driving range, rather than driving the wheels directly.
- BEV
- Battery electric vehicle, a vehicle powered solely by a rechargeable battery and electric motor with no combustion engine.
- OEM
- Original equipment manufacturer, in this context the carmaker that buys powertrain systems from a supplier such as Horse Powertrain.
- Powertrain
- The group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road, such as the engine or motor, transmission and related electronics.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.