Photo: Peugeot
Good news if you like frugal little French cars: Peugeot is going to unveil a new version of its cute supermini at the Paris Motor Show and it runs on air… literally.
You guys are looking at the Peugeot 208 HYbrid Air 2L Concept, a long-winded name for an equally complicated idea. You see, while most companies are toying with electric hybrids, these guys want to put an air hybrid into production by 2016.
On the 208 concept car, a compressed air tank located at the back of the vehicle can be charged though regenerative braking or by partially using the energy developed by the three-cylinder 1.2-liter petrol engine. This air can in turn be used to power the car, either exclusively (like an EV mode on hybrids) or in combination with the petrol mill. And no, it doesn't go into the engine and go "bang". Instead, the air powers it hydraulic motor/pump sandwiched between the petrol unit and the automated gearbox. It's all very clever!
Peugeot is serious about putting this idea into mass production and hopes to achieve better economy numbers than conventional hybrids. Of course, you can't just add an air compressor and hope it will make everything more efficient, which is why the 208 HYbrid is also very light compared, even by supermini standards. Expensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum have supposedly resulted in an overall weight of only 860 kilograms. To put that into perspective, the Yaris Hybrid weighs 1,150 kilograms.
The French government recently asked local car companies to built a model capable of consuming just 2 l/100 km 141.2 mpg UK) by the year 2020. Renault is expected to also show its own 2-liter car in Paris, rumored to be based on an all-new platform not shared with any other car.
On the 208 concept car, a compressed air tank located at the back of the vehicle can be charged though regenerative braking or by partially using the energy developed by the three-cylinder 1.2-liter petrol engine. This air can in turn be used to power the car, either exclusively (like an EV mode on hybrids) or in combination with the petrol mill. And no, it doesn't go into the engine and go "bang". Instead, the air powers it hydraulic motor/pump sandwiched between the petrol unit and the automated gearbox. It's all very clever!
Peugeot is serious about putting this idea into mass production and hopes to achieve better economy numbers than conventional hybrids. Of course, you can't just add an air compressor and hope it will make everything more efficient, which is why the 208 HYbrid is also very light compared, even by supermini standards. Expensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum have supposedly resulted in an overall weight of only 860 kilograms. To put that into perspective, the Yaris Hybrid weighs 1,150 kilograms.
The French government recently asked local car companies to built a model capable of consuming just 2 l/100 km 141.2 mpg UK) by the year 2020. Renault is expected to also show its own 2-liter car in Paris, rumored to be based on an all-new platform not shared with any other car.
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