French-Chinese joint venture reveals waterproof engine
Horse Powertrains, owned by Renault and Geely, has made a hybrid engine capable of running in 1100mm deep water.
Given the internal combustion engine has been around for more than a century, you’d be forgiven for thinking that development has already reached its peak, but no one told Horse Powertrains that.
The company, which is jointly owned by Geely (45 per cent), Renault (45 per cent) and Saudi oil giant Aramco (10 per cent), has this week revealed the B20 engine, a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit – a pretty familiar recipe.
With quoted outputs of 140-185kW and 300-380Nm, it doesn’t seem like much to write about, though it comes with a party trick – it’s waterproof.
According to Horse, the B20 engine is “fully compliant with IPX8 waterproofing standards”, and “can operate up to depths of 1.1 metres”, both in its standard guise as well as in its hybrid configurations.
To become waterproof, its structure is equipped with torsional vibration dampers and dedicated engine-transmission sealing, while IPX8-rated electrical components and sensors are also fitted, with its control system making the necessary inputs to make sure it doesn’t get flooded when submerged.
In addition to this, Horse claims it is “capable of maintaining continuous and stable power output under extreme off-road high-load conditions including 100 per cent grade climbing”.
“The Horse B20 demonstrates how we are meeting the full range of market needs, delivering flexible engine and powertrain solutions designed for multiple use cases and applications,” said Horse deputy chief technology officer, Ingo Scholten.
Jordan Mulach
“Supporting HEV, PHEV and REEV platforms, the Horse B20 enables new opportunities across a range of vehicle categories – particularly off-road applications, due to the engine's waterproofing and climbing capabilities.
“This engine is another step forward in advancing modern powertrain technology and a further example of how Horse Powertrain is pushing our industry forward.”
While Horse is slowly building a name for itself, it’s expected to enter the performance realm in the near future, with a hybrid V6 for the Lotus Emira currently in development, while the reborn Esprit is tipped to get a V8 developed by the firm.
