Geely–Renault JV Horse Powertrain Taps Leapmotor, Chery and JAC for Overseas Push

Horse aims to become the world’s largest producer of engines and hybrid systems by 2035 and has already developed hybrid powertrains for Renault and Geely.

Geely and Renault’s powertrain joint venture Horse Powertrain is partnering with Leapmotor, Chery Automobile and JAC Motors as it seeks to accelerate the overseas expansion of Chinese automakers, Reuters reported on Oct. 15.

Founded in May last year, Horse is 45% owned by Geely and 45% by Renault, with Saudi Aramco holding the remaining 10%.

Its core engineering team is drawn from the engine divisions of Geely, Renault and Volvo. The company operates five R&D centres worldwide and has consolidated 17 powertrain factories previously under Renault—eight of which are located in China.

Horse’s portfolio spans internal combustion engines, hybrid systems (including HEV, PHEV and EREV configurations), transmissions and electric drive units, with an annual manufacturing capacity of around five million units.

The company has already developed hybrid engines for Renault and Geely, deployed in models such as the Renault Grand Koleos SUV for the South Korean market and Geely’s premium Zeekr 9X SUV.

“We have a lot of worldwide collaborations with different automakers,” Wang Ruiping, CEO of Horse subsidiary Aurobay, told media in Ningbo, confirming Leapmotor, Chery and JAC as partners.

The cooperation aligns with Leapmotor’s product roadmap. CEO Zhu Jiangming recently told Reuters that the company plans to expand its lineup to 15 models by 2027, including PHEVs—suggesting Leapmotor could directly adopt Horse’s hybrid technology platform.

Chery and JAC already export combustion and hybrid models. Access to Horse’s technology and manufacturing network could strengthen their localisation and certification capabilities for higher-end vehicles in foreign markets.

Horse aims to become the world’s largest manufacturer of engines and hybrid systems by 2035, with Chinese automakers emerging as its most important external client base.

S&P Global Mobility forecasts that China’s annual PHEV sales will grow roughly 2.2 times in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching around 11.41 million units by 2032.