Although the Horse Powertrain brand has been in official existence for less than a year, the industrial "heart" of Mioveni has been beating with Swiss watch precision since 1971. Recently, the factory gates marked a symbolic moment for the global automotive industry: the production of engine number 10,000,000.
This milestone is not just an impressive figure in an Excel spreadsheet, but a confirmation of the technical maturity that Romania has reached in the global automotive ecosystem. Under the new shareholding structure, where Renault and Geely share responsibilities, the Mioveni plant demonstrates that it can support the pace of a market in full technological transition.
The anniversary engine was not chosen by chance. It is the Horse H12 LPG unit, a powerplant that encapsulates the essence of local engineering. Developed exclusively in Romania through close collaboration between the engineering centers in Titu, Mioveni and Bucharest, this engine represents the spearhead of alternative propulsion for the Renault group.
Technical specifications that require respect:
Capacity: 1.2 liters, 3 cylinders.
Technology: Direct injection combined with LPG fueling.
Performance: 140 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque.
Versatility: It equips the new generations of Dacia Duster and Bigster, as well as the popular Renault Clio.
The fact that an engine of such complexity was designed and produced entirely in Romania underlines the transition from the status of "assembly center" to that of "innovation hub".
The Mioveni plant is not a newcomer to the landscape. Operational since 1971, the unit has survived regime changes, economic crises and technological revolutions. With an annual production capacity of 450,000 engines, the factory is today one of the most important pillars of Horse Powertrain, the joint venture created in May 2024.
"Reaching the 10 million engine milestone is proof of the quality of our teams' work. It is a clear signal that the partnership between Renault and Geely has found fertile ground in Romania to build the future of mobility," the results from the field seem to say.
In an era where everyone is talking about total electrification, Horse Powertrain is betting on a pragmatic strategy: ultra-efficient and hybridized thermal engines. The H12 LPG unit demonstrates that the internal combustion engine still has a long future if optimized for low emissions and unbeatable running costs, the specifics of the Dacia brand.
With ten million "hearts" sent onto the world's roads, Mioveni not only maintains its relevance, but becomes the headquarters of a new industrial era, where French experience meets Chinese dynamism, all on the solid foundation of Romanian engineering.