Fleet managers choosing between aging combustion vehicles and expensive EVs just found their third option. The H12 Concept hybrid engine from Horse Powertrain and Spanish energy giant Repsol delivers 44.2% brake thermal efficiency while running on 100% renewable gasoline—no vehicle modifications required.
This timing matters more than the tech specs suggest. While automakers spent 2023 promising EV-only futures, 2026 reality looks messier. Consumer EV enthusiasm has cooled, charging infrastructure remains patchy, and 97% of Europe’s vehicle fleet still burns fossil fuels. The H12 Concept offers immediate emissions cuts without waiting for battery supply chains to stabilize or charging networks to expand.
Real Numbers Behind the Efficiency Claims
The engineering delivers where it counts. That 44.2% thermal efficiency represents a 40% fuel consumption reduction compared to conventional engines, hitting just 3.3 liters per 100 kilometers (71 mpg) under standardized testing. Combined with Repsol’s Nexa 95 renewable fuel—made from agricultural waste and used cooking oil—a mid-size vehicle cuts 1.77 tons of CO₂ annually versus traditional combustion engines.
The 17:1 compression ratio and redesigned exhaust gas recirculation system enable the engine to extract maximum energy from renewable fuel. This renewable fuel already reduces emissions by 70% compared to conventional gasoline. Two prototypes have been validated, with a demonstrator vehicle expected early 2026.
Technology Neutrality Challenges EV Orthodoxy
Horse COO Patrice Haettel frames this as practical pragmatism: “We believe that relying on a single technology is not the fastest way to cut emissions. This is why we advocate a technology neutral approach that enables innovation across all solutions—electric, hybrid, range extenders and low-carbon fuels.”
That philosophy reflects a strategic pivot. Horse emerged in 2023 as the industry obsessed over EV master plans. By becoming the world’s third-largest engine manufacturer through 17 manufacturing plants, the company now supplies major brands including Volvo, Nissan, and Renault. The H12 Concept gives these automakers hybrid options that don’t require ground-up platform development or massive capital investment.
You won’t need new infrastructure to fill up with renewable gasoline—it works in every existing gas station pump. Sometimes the revolution looks surprisingly like evolution.
