Peugeot preparing to launch its first diesel-powered hybrid
By Andrew C., 27 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
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Peugeot will soon be launching the world's first diesel hybrid, a 3008-based four-wheel-drive car, which offers 200bhp and 369lb ft and utilizes a diesel-electric drivetrain. Emitting just 99g/km of CO2, the Hybrid 4 is an otherwise-conventional front-drive car that is powered by a 163bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine fitted with a stop-start system.
Modifications related to the hybrid system, which adds 100kg to the weight of the car, include the incorporation of an electric motor (good for 36bhp and 147lb ft at full tilt) and twin driveshafts for the rear wheels. Under the boot floor, you can find a battery pack and a pair of electronic control units. To minimize costs, the Peugeot is using its existing self-shifting "robotized" six-speed box (with the automatic clutch actuation); there's also the option of wheel-mounted paddles.
Connecting the two powertrains is a series of underfloor cables, some of which carry the electrical charge generated by the engine's stop-start mechanism to the rear-mounted battery pack. The Hybrid4 can run in front-drive, all-wheel drive, sport and purely rear-drive modes, which offers zero emission but can only run a few miles at city speeds. The current prototype is returning 109g/km, but with aerodynamic tweaks and low-resistance tires, could go down to less than 100g/km.
Within 20 months, Peugeot engineers should already have finished the computer software to synchronize the two powertrains, and completed the testing in extreme conditions in Spain and Sweden. The hybrid set-up requires few structural changes to basic platforms as it has been designed to fit both PSA's Platform 2 (Citroen C4/Peugeot 308) and Platform 3 (Citroen C5/Peugeot 407). Initially, the hybrid will cost at least 15% more than a conventional top-spec 3008 but sources say the price will drop as the system is rolled out across more model lines. [via autocar]
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