Future Car - Peugeot / Citroën
Introduction
Peugeot and Citroën is now known as Peugeot Citroën. The companies are now combined though each is marketing and selling it's own particular models. If Citroën continues as a viable company remains to be seen, but for now each brand has it's own line of cars and it's own take on environmentally responsible cars.
The Peugeot models slated for release in 2010 are the iOn (a remarketed Mitsubishi i MiEV), the Prolog Hybrid, and the 307. Peugeot has also built and demonstrates the concept Moovie.
For it's part Citroën is introducing the Ev'ie and C4. It has also demonstrated the concept car C-Métisse. Citroën will also market it's own version of the i MiEV mentioned above.
Peugeot Future Cars
Peugeot iOn:
The iOn is a re-branded version of the Mitsubishi i MiEV vehicle. This rebranding is an arrangement between Peugeot, Citroen, and Mitsubishi.
The iOn is a four (4) door four (4) seat all electric model using Lithium Ion battery technology. It is capable of full recharge in as little as six (6) hours on 220 V current (the European Union standard) or 80% of recharge in as little as thirty (30) minutes.
It develops sixty-four (64) horsepower and one-hundred eighty (180) newtons (132 foot pounds) of torque. It is capable of traveling up to one-hundred thirty (130) kilometers (or 81 miles) per charge.
The iOn will be capable of notifying emergency services in case of an accident and the same on-board system will be able to transmit location, mileage, battery status, and distance yet to travel before maintenance as a fleet vehicle back to it's "home office."
Prolog Hybrid 4
The Peugeot Prolog Hybrid 4 is a pre-production hybrid cross-over vehicle. The Prolog will use a modular interior design. It's drive train will incorporate a new generation of hybrid power-plant that combines an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. The power-train will provide a total output of 200 HP. Prolog will be capable of being powered entirely by electricity or entirely by gasoline or a combination of both.
Peugeot 307 Hybride HDi Deisel
The 307 HDi features a 1.6-liter HDi diesel engine with a Diesel Particle Filter System. This engine recharges battery packs that drive an electric power-train. This is right in line with Europe's overall adoption of diesel over gasoline as the fuel of choice
The 307 CC Hybride HDi joins the 307 hatchback, announced in January in readiness for possible introduction in 2010.
Peugeot Moovie Concept
This car and it's designer 23-year-old designer André Costa of Portugal won the design concept based on "what you would like to see Peugeot offer in the year 2020."
The concept is given an interesting look by incorporating two very large hubless wheels (see picture) that provide both the driving force and directional control. The wheels tip in toward the top of the vehicle to provide stability. Entry into the vehicle is through the center of these wheels. The front wheels, more spherical than doughnut shaped, serve as little more than casters. Because motive force is provided to the large wheels only the car is capable of turning 360º in place. Costa intends for the Moovie to be all-electric. It has an overall length of just under eight feet and a width just under five feet thus making the vehicle very easy to park.
Citroën Future Cars
Citroën Ev'ie
The Ev'ie is a Citroen C1 converted to full electric drive. As such it is intended for city driving. Because battery packs are placed where the fuel tank resided and within the engine bay, no space is lost in the trunk. While driving the car taking one's foot off of the accelerator pedal automatically causes the car to go into regenerative braking mode. This causes the car to decelerate much the same way a gasoline engined car would slow down while in gear.
The car is powered by a 30kiloWatt motor and a bank of twenty-five (25) lithium ion batteries. The Ev'ie has a top speed of sixty (60) miles per hour and a range of seventy-five (75) miles. The car is recharged in about six hours from a standard electrical outlet. The estimated cost to recharge would be about 90 cents compared to the five ($5) dollars worth of gasoline to travel the same distance in a non-electric C1.
Citroën C4 Hybride HDi
This vehicle is very similar to the Peugeot 307 Hybride in that is a diesel electric. As with the 307 the C4 features a 1.6-liter HDi diesel engine with
a Diesel Particle Filter System. This engine recharges battery packs
that drive an electric power-train. The C4 Hybride will also include a "Lane Departure Warning System." This system gives the driver an audible warning if a lane change occurs without the use of turn signals. The Hybride will also directional headlights, a perfume injector in the ventilation system, transparent glass roof, and electronic stability. The steering wheel will incorporate a number of controls thus keeping the driver's hands on the wheel more often.
Citroën C-Métisse1
This is a concept car currently making the European auto show circuit. The C-Métisse features a two point seven (2.7) liter diesel engine producing 208 horsepower on the front axle with an electric motor assist on the each rear wheel of twenty (20) horsepower each. These electrics are capable of three-hundred (300) foot pounds of torque2. It is capable of sixty (60) miles per hour in six point two (6.2) seconds with a top speed of one-hundred fifty-five (155) miles per hour. Fuel consumption is estimated to be forty-three (43) miles per gallon.
At low speeds the C-Métisse can operate in an electric only mode making it a part-time zero emission vehicle. Though the vehicle is currently considered a concept car the C4 Hybride HDi was also a concept car a year ago (as of this writing).
1 Métisse is French for "mongrel."
2For comparison, the Wrightspeed X1, the fastest all electric car in the world, has one hundred eighty-two (182lb) foot pounds of torque. This torque, as with all electrics, is available through almost the entire speed range of the motor.
The is the eighth in a series on future cars.
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