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Electric vehicles have seen a lot of success in recent years, but there are still some concernsfrom range anxiety to insufficient charging infrastructurethat limit their overall adoption. Hybrids dont have those same worries, and hybrid sales have been gaining momentum as the growth of EV sales has slowed. Thats caused some carmakers to pull back on EV offerings and prioritize hybrids instead. But now a company called Horse Powertrain is offering an alternative to carmakers who are hesitant to go fully electric while still allowing them to develop EVsand keep their EV production lines. Called the Future Hybrid Concept, its essentially a way for automakers to retrofit a battery electric vehicle into a plug-in hybrid. That means automakers could have one production line that makes a variety of powertrains, both developing EVs and also offering hybrid versions. [Photo: Horse Powertrain] Horse Powertrain is a joint venture by French auto manufacturer Renault and Chinese conglomerate Geely (Geely subsidiaries include Volvo and Polestar) created to develop low-emission hybrid and combustion systems. Horse Powertrain is unveiling its Future Hybrid Concept at the Shanghai auto show this week. The Future Hybrid Concept is one compact unit that includes an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission. This allows automakers to hybridize their existing battery electric vehicles, the company says, to meet fluctuating customer demands while also “eliminating the need for multiple platforms and production lines. The Future Hybrid Concept can bolt directly onto an EVs subframe with minor modifications, per Horse. This means that carmakers could manufacture both EVs and hybrids on one assembly line, reducing complexity. Currently, hybrids are often assembled on the same production lines as internal combustion vehicles, and EVs on another, because of the distinct components they need. Some manufacturers have found ways around this: Honda, for instance, upgraded its Ohio factories so that gas vehicles, hybrids, and EVs can be manufactured on the same lines. But for other automakers that have yet to make those upgrades, or that have prioritized EV innovation but now want to diversify their offerings, Horse Powertrain says its retrofit concept can fit into existing operations. It would also eliminate most of the tooling and unique assembly steps hybrids need, the company says, so that manufacturing lines can be simplified. Through our innovation, we can deliver a full hybrid powertrain system that seamlessly integrates onto a battery electric vehicle platform, Matias Giannini, CEO at Horse Powertrain, said in a statement. The Future Hybrid Concept system includes an onboard charger, and could work with a variety of fuels, including gas, ethanol, methanol, and other synthetic fuels. The first vehicles using Horse Powertrains Future Hybrid Concept are expected to be on the road as early as 2028. Horse Powertrain already has 17 production plants and five R&D centers across Europe, Asia, and South America, and expects to produce 5 million powertrain engines annually.
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E-Commerce
Ive always been a doer. I move fast, I love learning new things, and I dont sit still for long. Productivity has been a faithful companion throughout my career, and I attribute much of my success to one key trait: the courage to take actioneven when things seem uncertain or complex. I trace this mentality back to a moment in my childhood. I was about 11 years old, growing up in the Netherlands, where a bicycle isnt just a toyits your main mode of transportation. One day, I had my first flat tire and it was raining (as it always is). I felt defeated and immobile. No bike meant no freedom, no way to get from A to B. I walked home, and my dad, calm as ever, looked at me and said, No problem, lets fix it. Fix it? This was 1984. There was no YouTube tutorial. No step-by-step guide. Just a deflated tire, some tools, and a kid who had no idea what he was doing. We sat together with a bucket of water to find the hole, sandpaper, and glue to patch it, and metal tools to remove and reinsert the tire. Step by step, we repaired it. He didnt do it for mewe did it together. That day changed my mindset. I realized that if I can fix this, I can fix anything. From that moment on, Ive believed that most problems are solvable, most obstacles are temporary, and most fears are exaggerated. How I honed my growth mindset That mindset was tested often. I wasnt the strongest student. I worked hard at a demanding public high school, but the grades didnt come easy. Worse, many of my teachers seemed to doubt meor at least, didnt hide it well. Except for one: Mr. Bosman, my physical education teacher. He had an infectious energy and a simple motto. Every time he introduced a new exercise, hed explain, demonstrate, wait for confirmation, and then shout a single wordhis command, his mantra: Do! (but in Dutch of course) That word stuck with me. It was the only positive affirmation I got from a teacher in those years, and it became my philosophy. When in doubt? Do. When overwhelmed? Do. When uncertain? Still . . . do. Dont sit still, action over inaction wins always. Fast-forward to my corporate career at The Baan Corporation (a software company that is now part of Infor Global Solutions), I remember meeting Jan Baanthe companys visionary founder. I was just 25, eager, and still finding my professional rhythm. I asked him how he managed to get so much doneand so well. He told me, Michel, I try to make 20 decisions in a day and still leave time to correct two of them. Thats better than making two perfect decisions and missing out on the other 18. Thats when it clicked for me. Perfection is slow and paralyzing. If I want to move forward, I need to take action while being willing to learn and correct my mistakes in the process. Why action-oriented leaders win In my work as an executive coach, I meet many bright, capable, ambitious leaders who still hold onto the opposite mindset. They’re carrying around the weight of things people said to them years ago. Whether thats Im not ready, Im not qualified enough, or Someone else can do it better. But most of the messages have little merit, and I encourage people to focus on taking action instead. A recent study published in Current Psychology found that leaders who rely on internal trait-based resourceslike resilience, self-discipline, and adaptabilityare better equipped to manage stress and perform well in complex, high-stakes environments. Its important to note that those qualities arent built by sitting still. Leaders need to sharpen them through movement, iteration, and learning by doing. Another study in the International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal showed that self-leadership and mindfulness training measurably improve a leaders confidence and decision-making. Its not perfection that builds capabilityits repetition, awareness, and the courage to act even when clarity is incomplete. This mindset also aligns with modern neuroscience. The brain rewards progresseven small winswith dopamine, which motivates us to keep going. Final thought: action drives culture When leaders adopt a bias for action, they dont just transform themselvesthey create a ripple effect. They inspire teams to take initiative. They build cultures where progress trumps perfection, where learning is constant, and where speed is a strategic advantage. Momentum, after all, is contagious. Decisive leadership removes bottlenecks, boosts morale, and accelerates performance. But hesitation at the top leads to confusion, disengagement, and organizational drag. And once you lose momentum, its hard to rebuild. Action creates clarity. Action builds confidence. Action fuels momentum. So dont wait for perfection or permission. Just start doing.
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E-Commerce
I was strolling up the hill in Greater Boston to a French cooking class. The rich aroma of melting butter and fresh herbs greeted us as it wafted through the chilly fall air. My friend Sylvie and I were eager to learn the art of soufflé-making. The French instructors asked for everyones background. When Sylvie said she was from France, they pressed her to be specific: Which part of France? When they learned she hailed from Strasbourg, the Parisiennes exchanged disapproving glances. Sylvie eyed their silent, snooty disdain. It got worse. When Sylvie started asking about techniques, we received curt responses and pronounced sighs. We left feeling as deflated as a collapsed soufflé. The French instructors may have mastered the art of French cooking but failed miserably in practicing humility toward Sylvie. They could have done so by celebrating Sylvies hometown as a region with its own culinary specialties. In snubbing Sylvie, the instructors missed an opportunity to demonstrate the rich diversity of soufflés across geographies and to toast the diversity of participants in the cooking class. Humility is based on a common theme: Train your focus on others, not on yourself. The importance of managing your ego Early in my Silicon Valley career, I had the good fortune to work for Bart, a humble leader who left his ego at the door. Bart regularly sought out employees at all levels for their input on new products and improving the company. He collaborated with individuals and other stakeholders, so they could see what made sense for the business. He asked customers crucial questions and listened carefully to their answers. Bart never threw his weight around. Instead, he was a role model for how to be in a position of power while ensuring each employee felt heard, included, and invited to showcase their influence. Humility requires you to check your ego and ensure that you dont let it dictate your actions. Seek and embrace feedback Later in my career while running my diagnostic equipment business, we hired a head of research and development. This professional came with an impressive pedigreehis PhD and postdoctoral research were from some of the top schools in the world. With his vast knowledge, accomplishments, and experience he easily could have asserted himself. You know, that arrogant person who knows best, never admits hes wrong, and isnt open to suggestions. Weve all met that individual. But our new head of R&D was actively soliciting feedback on products from collaborators, customers, and salespeople across the globe with less education. In the end, he was able to integrate input from a broad mix of stakeholders into our products. He always showed his gratitude for ideas people gave him and considered many of them for possible future use. Listen more than you speak William is a strength and conditioning coach friend of mine who trains professional and amateur athletes. He says that one of the most common phrases he hears from his clients is You really understand me. He believes that this is because he allows his clients to do most of the talking. They feel heard and understood, he says, because he signals hes listening intently. According to him, the following practices are key to being a good listener: Practice active listening without planning your response. If you predict what the other person is about to say, your response could miss the mark. Respond only after the person youre speaking with is done talking. Show genuine interest in others’ perspectives. Our natural tendency is to blurt out what we think. Resist the urge. Instead, draw the other person out through thoughtful questions. Dont interrupt or dominate conversations. This is arguably the hardest to do because we want to be heard. Keep your lips together when you feel compelled to interject. Learn to sense when to yield the conversation to another person. You dont want the reputation of being that person who doesnt know when to stop talking. Ask thoughtful follow-up questions. Think through your follow-up question before you ask it. If youve been listening carefully, a question will come to mind with little effort. Dont underestimate the impact of curiosity Theres a concept called epistemic humility, which refers to a trait where you seek to learn on a deep level while actively acknowledging how much you dont know. Approach each interaction with curiosity, an open mind, and an assumption youll learn something new. Ask thoughtful questions about others experiences, perspectives, and expertise. Then listen and show your genuine interest in their responses. Let them know what you just learned. By consistently being curious, you demonstrate youre not above learning from others. Juan, a successful entrepreneur in the healthy beverage space, approaches life and grows his business with intellectual humility. Hes a deeply curious professional who seeks feedback and perspectives from customers, employees, advisers, and investors. Juans ongoing openness to learning led him to adapt faster to market changes in his beverage category: He quickly identifies shifting customer preferences as well as competitive threats, then rapidly tweaks his product offerings to keep competitors at bay. He has the humility to realize he doesnt have all the answers and embraces listening to key voices that help make his business even more successful. A final reflection Being humble makes us more approachable and respected. With humility, we value others perspectives. The French soufflé instructors lost their class participants respect because far from practicing humility, they served up snobbery along with their lessons on creating the perfect soufflé. Humility isn’t about diminishing oneself. It’s about having a balanced perspective about yourself while showing genuine respect and appreciation for others. And if youre open to the journey, the growth and self-awareness will enrich your life and the lives of those around you.
Category:
E-Commerce
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