By ATN Editorial Team
Summary: Horse Powertrain has launched an upgraded HORSE V20 engine and started production at its plant in Skövde, Sweden. The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol unit is built in two variants on a single architecture — a 400-volt plug-in hybrid and a 48-volt mild hybrid — both engineered to meet tighter emissions rules in the United States, Europe and China.
Key engineering takeaway: Both variants of the HORSE V20 engine share one platform, which the company says lowers material cost. The plug-in hybrid carries the larger hardware change set: a revised crankshaft-mounted starter-generator, a high-position mechanical water pump and a re-routed cooling system, plus a new multi-injection fuel system, a new engine management system and a redesigned air induction system. The plug-in variant cuts fuel consumption by 7% against the engine it replaces.
Why it matters: Designing a single engine to clear US, European and Chinese emissions limits is harder than designing three separate engines, but it gives suppliers economies of scale as the regulatory map fragments. The HORSE V20 engine also shows a production-engineering result worth noting: the new final assembly line at Skövde was installed while the existing line kept running, avoiding a shutdown during the changeover.
- Horse Powertrain has upgraded the HORSE V20 – a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter gasoline engine.
- Two variants are based on a single architecture: a 400-volt plug-in hybrid and a 48-volt mild hybrid
- Latest generation of plug-in hybrid engines reduces fuel consumption by seven percent compared to the previous engine.
- Both variants meet stricter emissions legislation in the U.S., Europe and China.
- Production started on a new dedicated assembly line at the company’s Skövde plant in Sweden.
Inside The Upgraded HORSE V20 Engine
Horse Powertrain, a global leader in innovative, low-emission hybrid and combustion powertrain solutions, via its Aurobay Technologies division, has launched the latest generation of its HORSE V20 engine.
Production of the engine started at the Skövde, Sweden manufacturing facility, with exports to customers across Europe, the US and Asia.
HORSE V20 will allow automakers to meet stricter emission rules in 2026 and 2027. The latest generation of the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine comes in two variants on a single architecture. A 400-volt plug-in hybrid and a 48-volt mild hybrid. The plug-in variant reduces fuel consumption by seven percent compared to the engine it replaces.
The shared platform reduces material cost delivering greater economic value to customers. The plug-in variant features hardware upgrades including modifications to its crankshaft-mounted starter-generator, a high-position mechanical water pump and a new re-routed cooling system.
Other major upgrades include a new multi-injection fuel system – new engine management system and a redesigned air induction system to fit the upgraded engine.
Building The HORSE V20 At Skövde
Ingo Scholten, Managing Director of Aurobay Technologies Sweden and Deputy CTO of Horse Powertrain, said: “Designing one engine to meet three different regulatory regimes is harder than designing three separate engines. As the regulatory map is fragmenting, one engine that meets all three sets of rules delivers greater value to our customers, ensuring we can offer greater economies of scale. Pulling that off requires serious engineering. Further, the Skövde team also successfully changed production lines while keeping current production running.”
The plant in Skövde kept the base assembly line from the previous generation and installed a straight final assembly line that improves material flow. The transition was completed while keeping the line running. Skövde will increase HORSE V20 output through 2026 and 2027 as customer demand grows.
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