Peugeot Says 3008 Hybrid4 Will Be World's First Mass-Produced Diesel Hybrid
By John O'Dell August 25, 2010
Peugeot says it has stopped conceptualizing and now will bring a diesel-electric hybrid to market: the 3008 Hybrid4 crossover that it will show at the upcoming Paris auto show.
The new hybrid, scheduled for a European launch next year, will get 62 miles per gallon (by European standards) while delivering up to 200 horsepower, through a six-speed automated transmission, from a 163 hp, 2.0-liter diesel that powers the front wheels and a 37 hp electric motor at the rear.
Under slick road conditions, the vehicle's diesel and electric motors will run simultaneously, allowing for all-wheel-drive capability. The diesel will deliver 221-lb.-ft of peak torque and the electric motor can add an additional 143 lb.-ft. The system also has a driver-selectable ZEV mode that will allow for some all-electric travel using only power from the hybrid's nickel-metal hydride battery pack.
No pricing has been announced for the hybrid diesel, which is slated to go on sale in Europe next March. Base price for the non-hybrid version is about $26,500.
Gas-electric hybrid systems typically add a few thousand dollars to a car's price and diesel engines are more expensive than gasoline-burners, so don't expect the diesel hybrid version to come it at under $30,000.
Peugeot parent PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA isn't wedded to diesel-electric systems, although it has been exploring ways to boost fleetwide fuel economy both in Europe, where diesels account for about half of all vehicles, and globally. Automotive News Europe reported in June that PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA was considering selling gas-electric hybrid cars outside of Europe.
Danny King, Contributor
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The hybrid is only going into the top of the range 2.0 HDI model, so the price will be higher.
A plug-in is to follow in 2012, and Citroen, their sister company, is to have a model based on the same technology too.
The combination of diesel and electric drive seems to be THE ideal for both highway and urban driving. The French auto companies are way ahead of the US and Germans (and Japanese too) in this engineering.
Even at $35,000 this Peugeot design seems like it could find a market here in the US and with plug-in charging (and the current tax breaks that offers) it would appear to be a slam dunk winner!
The AWD format gives this on-the-road hybrid a more simply integration and a potential functional impact (snow and challenging terrain) that is totally missed by what we currently see in the hybrid WITH economy of operation market.
I have just noticed that the electric motor is given as having 37bhp.
That is peak. It's a 27bhp motor, which obviously can give a bit more in short bursts like all electric motors.
This is a car I would definitely consider buying in the hatchback form. The total torque will be super high and overall fuel economy should be outstanding. It would be cool to have another European offering in the States.
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