Horse Powertrain Limited (a Renault-Geely JV) has signed an agreement to produce Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) engines for the Lecar 459 Hybrid, an upcoming passenger car.

Set to launch in 2026, the Lecar 459 Hybrid is the first vehicle from Lecar, a Brazilian EV maker.  It will introduce a new range of ‘affordable’ EV models targeted at domestic audiences.

Horse says it will initially supply Lecar with 12,000 units of its 1.0-litre 3-cylinder ‘HR10’ engines annually.

The HR10 engines are tailored to run on low-emissions gasoline and ethanol flex fuels, which are a staple of the Brazilian market. These units will serve as the combustion engine within the Lecar 459 Hybrid’s Range Extender powertrain.

Matias Giannini, Chief Executive Officer at Horse Powertrain Limited, said: “This is a tremendous opportunity for Horse, Lecar, and Brazilian motorists.”

Flávio Figueiredo Assis, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Lecar, said: “Our team has an incredibly ambitious plan to develop and deliver the Lecar 459 Hybrid, Brazil’s first home-grown EV.”

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