Horse Powertrain reveals methanol REEV engine and generator

Engine and power specialist Horse Powertrain has launched its new Horse D20 Methanol range extender EV (REEV) model.

Premiered in April at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, this unit brings together a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine that uses methanol fuel with what is said to be the automotive market’s first mass-market axial flux motor.

First, the engine. Designed use 100% methanol fuel blends, the engine incorporates such features as a 240 mJ high-energy ignition system which allows ultra-lean fuel burn in the combustion chamber. Additionally, this supports cold starts at temperatures down to -35C.

D20 Methanol range extender EV engine (Photo: Horse Powertrain)

Engine NOx emissions are compliant with China’s CN6b standard of 35 mg/kWh and the Euro 7 standard of 60 mg/km.

Next, the generator. This is an axial flux motor mounted directly on the engine crankshaft. Unlike a traditional radial flux motor, where the rotor typically exists as a cylinder nested within the stator, axial flux models layer the rotor and stator as stacked discs.

In the case of the Horse D2 Methanol, the axial flux motor uses a ‘yokeless’ design made up of two rotors surrounding a singe stator.

The axial flux motor is said to be 46% shorter, a difference which allows easier packaging. The motor also has an efficiency level of 96.4%, supported by such features as an embedded silicon carbide power module that reduces electrical losses. The motor is reported to deliver 63% more kW power output per unit of volume.

Bringing the engine and electrical system together, the Horse D20 Methanol engine has achieved a 47% fuel-to-energy conversion ratio, with 1 kWh of electrical energy produced for (approx.) 2.1 kWh of methanol used. As a result, the engine can fully recharge a 40 kWh EV battery with 19.6 liters of fuel.

Fortune Zhao, CTO of Horse Powertrain, said: “The HORSE D20 Methanol is one of our boldest statements of intent so far. Along with reflecting our commitment to alternative fuels via its central methanol engine, and offering a flexible mobility solution as a range extender powertrain, the HORSE D20 Methanol is a staging ground for a range of cutting-edge technologies to deliver a powertrain of unparalleled compactness and efficiency.

“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.”

Methanol fuel

Methanol can be produced using a number of base materials and production methodologies. Most commonly it is produced using natural gas using a syngas/distillation process, but other raw materials can serve as a base source.

The fuel has a higher energy/octane level than standard gasoline, measuring around 109 RON. This supports higher engine compression ratios, but the fuel also has a lower energy density, meaning more would have to be carried onboard the vehicle.

But, as noted, the fuel delivers lower NOx and particulates. It’s also biodegradable and liquid at normal temperatures, which supports a standard delivery/dispensing method. That said, methanol cannot be mixed with gasoline and so would need a dedicated storage/dispensing setup.

Horse Powertrain counts a series of global OEMs as customers, including the Renault Group, Nissan, Geely Auto, Volvo Cars, Proton and Mitsubishi Motors. It’s likely this engine would be targeted at fleets where the methanol fuel could be stored at a central hub location for ease of refuelling.

For its part, Horse Powertrain has yet to define a target market for the new D20 Methanol engine.