Green Car Advisor

Peugeot

November 2, 2009

Sanyo Signs Deal To Supply Batteries for Peugeot, Citroen Diesel Hybrids

Peugeot3008Hybrid4.jpgSanyo Electronics, which wants to be the world's biggest EV and hybrid battery supplier, has put another notch in its belt as it signs France's PSA Peugeot-Citroen as a client for nickel-metal hydride batteries.

The automaker will use Sanyo's NiMH batteries in its upcoming (not for U.S.) diesel-electric hybrids -the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 crossover (right) and the Citroen DS5 Hybrid 4 - which are slated to go into production in 2011.

Sanyo, which also supplies hybrid batteries to Ford and Honda and has a joint venture deal to produce nickel-metal hydride batteries with Volkswagen, has said it wants to capture 40 percent of the global market share for both NiMH and lithium-ion batteries by 2020.

The company has agreed to become subsidiary of electronics giant Panasonic Corp. and even as it boosts it hybrid and EV battery operations reportedly is looking to sell part of its rechargeable battery business to a unit of Fujitsu Corp. to avoid anti-trust problems.

 
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October 1, 2009

French EV Plan Calls for 2 Million Cars, 4 Million Chargers by 2020

Renault Fluence ZE unveiled.jpg

Say goodbye to those storied noisy streets of Paris.

The French government today committed 1.5 billion euros ($2.2 billion) to a 10-year plan to help put 2 million electric cars on the road by 2020.

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Renault showed this Fluence ZE electric car concept at the recent Frankfurt Auto Show, vowed to have EVs on sale in France by 2012

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The funds will help pay for manufacturer and buyer subsidies, a nationwide network of more than 4 million EV charging stations, and subsidies for battery manufacturing and industrial research.

It Takes a Nation

"No player can take the risk alone, but if all the actors take it at the same time, that works," France's Ecology Minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, said at a press conference in Paris today. He was accompanied by executives from French carmakers Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroen, both of which have pledged to begin selling electric vehicles in France by 2012.

Borloo said that the funding will help install a million EV charging points by 2015 - mainly in private residences but also in car parks and select locations on busy highway.

But beginning in 2012, the government will require all new apartment developments in the country to install charging stations to being the nationwide total to 4 million by 2020.

That's two per vehicle and an indication that France, which produces most of its electricity in nuclear power plants, expects the total number of EVs and plug-in hybrids to grow beyond the 2 million goal.

Continue reading...

 
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September 16, 2009

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Peugeot Introduces Motorcycle-Inspired Electric Car

Peugeot-BB1-ast-FMS.jpgFrench automaker Peugeot today introduced the BB1 Concept, telling a crowd at the Frankfurt Motor Show that the compact zero-emissions electric car was inspired by motorcycle technology.

Peugeot CEO Jean-Marc-Gales said that the BB1 Concept exists "between the two- and four-wheel worlds," adding that its frame is based on a tubular chassis designed by Peugeot Motorcycles.

But instead of one electric motor, the BB1 Concept is equipped with four -- two inside each of the car's rear wheels. These would be Active Wheels supplied by French tire-making giant Michelin.

The electric motors get their power from two lithium-ion battery packs, which are placed under the  rear seats.

Gales said Peugeot will decide within the next six months whether or not it makes commercial sense for the company to bring the BB1 to market, adding that he hopes it does.

The car weighs 1,320 pounds, has a range of 72 miles between charges and a top speed of 54 miles an hour.

 
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September 14, 2009

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Greenest Car Show Begins Previews Tuesday

HyundaiixMetroHybrid.jpg

Hyundai Motors' ix-Metro Hybrid city car is one of several dozen 'green' cars and concepts debuting at Frankfurt show.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

This week's Frankfurt Auto Show promises to be the greenest major auto show to date - a showcase for fuel efficiency improvements and alternative powertrains that are coming to the forefront as the mainstream auto industry finally begins coming to grips with the need to begin weaning itself - and us - from petroleum.

Continue reading...

 
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September 4, 2009

Citroen to Sell EV Based on Mitsubishi's i-MiEV; Vehicle Slated to Launch Next Year

Mitsu-i-MiEV-PEV.jpgThe chief executives of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and PSA Peugeot Citroen signed an agreement today in Paris that will allow Citroen to sell a version of an electric vehicle based on Mitsubishi's i-MiEV.

Mitsubishi launched the i-MiEV plug-in electric vehicle in Japan in June and will begin global sales of the right-hand-drive vehicle later this year.

The company plans to offer a left-hand-drive version of the i-MiEV next year.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot Citroen are collaborating on an EV that will be based on the i-MiEV. The agreement signed today permits both Peugeot and Citroen to sell versions of the collaboration, with sales to commence next year.

The move will allow Citroen to offer a low-emissions model ahead of its planned 2011 DS5 HYbrid4, a diesel-electric hybrid. More importantly, it will soon give Europeans another choice in an upcoming selection of zero-emissions vehicles. 

 
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August 26, 2009

MINI Unveils Concept to Rival Audi's TT, Peugeot's RCZ; Model to Debut in Frankfurt

MINI-Coupe-Concept-Unveil.jpg

MINI has unveiled a concept for a new coupe (pictured) that will expand the brand's lineup to five models and bring another powerful-yet-fuel-efficient small car to market.

MINI will show the coupe concept at the Frankfurt auto show next month. The BMW-owned brand aims to bring the coupe to market in two to three years as a rival to the Audi TT and Peugeot's new RCZ.

MINI, which this month celebrates the 50th anniversary of its foundation, says the two-seat concept is designed to be the most dynamic and agile MINI ever.

The coupe's roof is made of aluminum and the concept's sleek looks have been achieved by lowering the roofline compared with the standard MINI hatchback.

Because of its lighter roof, the coupe weighs about 220 pounds less than the standard MINI.

The front-wheel-drive concept is powered by MINI's most powerful engine, a 1.6-liter turbocharged powerplant found in the carmaker's high-performance models from tuning division John Cooper Works.

That engine achieves 39.8 miles per gallon and has CO2 emissions of 165 grams per kilometer.

The coupe will join the hatchback, convertible and Clubman wagon versions already on sale and a crossover model in the final stages of development.

 
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August 17, 2009

Peugeot to Unveil Two Hybrids at Frankfurt; One Is Planned for Production

3008-Hybrid4.jpgPeugeot can expect lots of slack-jawed gawkers at it exhibit area at the Frankfurt show next month after the French automaker rolls out the first two in a series of vehicles it has planned that sport the company's Hybrid4 two-powered, 4-wheel-engaged drivetrain.

RCZ-Hybrid4-concept-car.jpgThe first of the two vehicles to go to market will be 3008 Hybrid4 crossover, shown above.
 
Like the RCZ Hybrid4 concept sports car (right), it will feature a parallel hybrid system consisting of an electric motor spinning the rear wheels and an internal combustion engine spinning the front wheels.

The hybrid system allows the vehicles to have 4-wheel drive on demand, and it allows the vehicles to operate in internal combustion, EV or blended modes.

Hybrid4-describe.jpgBy splitting the powertrains, Peugeot engineers vastly reduced the mechanical complexity of the vehicles compared to, say, the power-split systems developed by Toyota and Ford.

The 3008 Hybrid4 is set to go on sale in Europe in 2011. If Peugeot hasn't said if the hybrid is U.S.-bound.
 
As for the RCZ Hybrid4, there are no plans to take to market at all, although that could change and we certainly hope it does.

The conventional gas-powered RCZ coupe is scheduled to debut next spring with a 200- horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.

Peugeot is not releasing pricing or fuel-economy information for the 3008 Hybrid4 at this time.

 
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July 10, 2009

PSA Peugeot Citroen Says It Is Not Working With Mitsubishi on Hybrid Components

PMClogoNoM.jpg One joint effort is, apparently, enough.

France's PSA Peugeot Citroen has issued a denial of a report for Japan's Nikkei business news that it is collaborating with Mitsubishi Motors on development of hybrid powertrain components.

"We  deny the information...We have our own research into plug-in hybrids," PSA Peugeot Citroen sad in a statement.

The French automaker said the two companies will, however, continue their collaboration on a small electric vehicle that the French company would market in Europe.  

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July 9, 2009

Mitsubishi-PSA Peugeot Citroen Reportedly Collaborating on Plug-In Hybrids

Automakers Already Working Jointly on Battery-Electric Car

Mitsubishi Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen, already working together on an electric vehicle for the European markets, have reportedly expanded their collaboration to development and production of components for plug-in hybrid vehicles.

PMClogo.jpg Japan's Nikkei business news says the two intend to jointly build powertrain components and are likely to supply finished hybrid vehicles to each other.

The partnership reportedly would benefit Mitsubishi's development of a plug-in gas-electric SUV and PSA Peugeot-Citroen's work on a diesel-electric car.

Mitsubishi, which declined to comment, also would supply high-capacity lithium-ion batteries to PSA through an affiliate, according to the Nikkei report.

Mitsubishi is already developing a plug-in hybrid car for commercial release by 2013 and intends to begin leasing its I-MIEV battery-electric city car in Japan later this month, with retail sales expected to follow sometime next year.

Collaborative agreements such as the Mitsubishi-PSA deals can only help speed the day when electric and electric-assisted vehicles are no longer curiosities but a significant part of the mainstream automotive marketplace.  

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March 2, 2009

Mitsubishi Confirms EV-Sharing Deal; i-MiEV To Wear Peugeot Badge in Europe

Thumbnail image for iMiEVVeh750.jpg Mitsubishi Motors Corp. today confirmed that it will provide electric car technology to French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen starting in late 2010 or early 2011. The two companies will produce a vehicle based upon Mitsubishi's iMiEV vehicle that will be marketed under the Peugeot brand .

Mitsubishi described its agreement with Peugeot as a memorandum of understanding that is  "consistent with its worldwide electric vehicle strategy."

Mitsubishi's iMiEV technology currently is being tested in Japan -- where it is scheduled to debut this summer -- as well as in the U.S., Europe and New Zealand.

Today's announcement confirmed media reports about an electric car technology collaboration that surfaced last summer shortly after Mitsubishi became a minority partner in Peugeot's new $465 million plant in Russia.

Mitsubishi still plans to market its own line of electric vehicles in Europe. The Peugeot deal "would be mutually beneficial since the collaboration of MMC and PSA Peugeot Citroen will ease and accelerate the introduction of their electric vehicles in the European market," according to a statement on Mitsubishi's Web site.

Mitsubishi plans to introduce electric cars in Japan this summer. Closer to home, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric have been testing the zero-emissions four-passenger electric vehicle.

Greg Johnson, Contributor  

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February 25, 2009

2009 Geneva Auto Show: A Lot of Green for Snowy Swiss Venue

OpelAmpera.jpg

Opel Ampera plug-in hybrid is among the green stars of the upcoming Geneva auto show.

By Nick Kurczewski, Contributor

When the Geneva auto show opens its doors to the media March 3, the exhibition halls will be jammed with a wider range of smaller, smarter and more fuel-efficient cars than ever before.

Green vehicles were once a sideshow, with headline-grabbing debuts of outrageous supercars and luxury sedans in the main ring at Geneva. But like easy credit and cheap gasoline, those days are gone.  

Intelligently designed, fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles are now the key to survival for the world's car manufacturers.

Even high-end manufacturers like Bentley Motors are getting in on the act. Rather than its usual lineup of sport-tuned touring cars that gulp gasoline the way a band of rugby fans down lager at a pre-game fest, the English luxury brand will unveil a bio-fueled concept -- albeit one with more than 600 horsepower.  

Other stars of the show will include the Opel Ampera, the European version of the Chevrolet Volt; Mitsubishi's i-MiEV Sport Air, an electric sports car concept; and the shape-shifting Rinspeed iChange electric vehicle.

Green Car Advisor offers an advance look at these and other soon-to-be-unveiled eco-stars of the Geneva show.

Opel Ampera

As General Motor's European subsidiary, it makes sense that Opel would get a version of Chevrolet's much-hyped Volt hybrid.

Luckily for Opel, the Ampera also seems to have gotten the good looks in the GM family tree. While the Volt has been criticized for a somewhat bland exterior, the Ampera has a more aggressive and modern design that better lives up to the promise of the state-of-the-art drivetrain.

Like the Chevrolet Volt, the Ampera will be capable of running up to 40 miles on electric power alone, before switching to a small internal combustion engine that recharges the battery pack.

Opel says that the Ampera's lithium-ion battery pack can be charged from a standard European 230-volt outlet.

The Volt slated to arrive in U.S. showrooms near the end of next year, so expect the Ampera to make its European debut in 2011.  

iMiEVVeh750.jpg Mitsubishi i-MiEVs

Mitsubishi will debut a European version of the i-MiEV electric car it expects to launch in Japan later this year. Both are based on the Japanese company's tiny "i" city car.

The i-MiEV uses a 47-kilowatt (62-horsepower) electric motor that draws power from a 330-volt lithium ion battery pack. Range is estimated at 100 miles.

The European model will be slightly wider than the Japanese model, and perhaps a bit more powerful -- to cope with European safety standards and higher speed limits.

A U.S. version of the i-MiEV, if we get one -- and we think we will -- is likely to be based on the Euro model.

A sport version of the i-MiEV will also break cover in Geneva.

Very little is known about the concept, called the Sport Air, though we expect it likely will be a closer-to-production version of the huggable-cute i-MiEV Sport concept seen at the Tokyo auto show in 2007.

ChevroletSpark.jpg Chevrolet Spark

Not every important green car in Geneva will have an electric motor or hybrid power plant under its hood.

At first glance, the Chevrolet Spark looks like another sharply styled little Euro-hatch.

That's the point.

Frugal and attractive small cars like the Spark are key to the survival of General Motors -- and to weaning many American car buyers from opting for the super-size option in their dealers' showrooms.

The five-door Spark hatchback first appeared as the Beat concept car during the New York auto show in 2007.

The production version looks almost identical to that concept. When it goes on sale in Europe in early 2010, the Spark will feature a choice of economical 1.0- and 1.2-liter 16-valve engines.

U.S. sales are to follow in 2011.

Nanofront.jpg Tata E-Nano?

A spokesman for India's Tata Motors told us to expect a surprise in Geneva.

Known for basic and cheap economy cars, Tata -- India's largest auto manufacturer -- is unlikely to pull a dust cover off some supercar.

Our guess: the top-secret news is the unveiling of an electric-powered version of the company's subcompact Indica hatchback, or the Nano city car (left). 

Tata Motors has been working hard on developing electric versions of its current lineup for the European market. The company last year bought a majority stake in Miljo Grenland Innovasjon, a Norwegian company specializing in electric car technology.

The collapse of the global auto industry has hit Tata Motors hard, especially now that it owns struggling British luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover, but we're not counting it out of the electric car sweepstakes.  

The four-door Nano hatchback will be the cheapest car in the world, priced at roughly $2,000 when it goes on sale in India later this year.

A low-speed battery-electric version suitable for urban centers or gated communities could be just what Tata needs to get its toe into the European or U.S. markets.

RinspeediChangeSide.jpg Rinspeed iChange

Rinspeed's annual dream machines in Geneva have been capable of hovering above land and water, tilting, running on bio-waste, and adapting the cabin environment to match a driver's state of mind.

The wacky Swiss company is now ready to debut its latest crazy creation, a shape-changing electric car called the iChange. Power comes from a 130-kilowatt electric motor.  

This concept car's most intriguing feature is the adaptable seating arrangement. The iChange has what Rinspeed refers to as "1, 2, 3 seating," courtesy of an "electronic trick tail."

The exterior body-panels of the iChange can be reconfigured depending on how many passengers are on board.

Rinspeed says the result is not only a zero-emission car, but one whose ultra-low aerodynamic drag helps reduce power consumption from the electric motor to give it more range. Details to come at the show, we hope.

BentleyBioFuel.jpg Bentley BioFuel Car

Bentley couldn't simply unleash a bio-fuel car onto the world. It had to make it the fastest Bentley ever.

We can live with that, considering the speed and grace of this strangely alluring yet contradictory concept. Sneak preview photos provided by Bentley show a car very much resembling its current gas-powered Continental GT.

Larger lower intakes and outlets in the hood now feed extra air to the W12 engine, reconfigured to run on a mix of gasoline and ethanol.

Oomph is estimated to be well in excess of 600 horsepower.

Ethanol helps raise the octane level of the fuel, which boosts power and gives this bruiser Bentley the performance credentials needed to keep its blue-blood clientele happy.

If the ethanol comes from biowaste instead of valuable food crops, those Bentley bluebloods may even be able to claim they are turning blue-green.

EDAG Light Car Open Source Concept

German engineering firm EDAG will display a high-tech car that is completely recyclable, electric powered and featuring state-of-the-art LED technology.

From the sneak peeks of the car we've seen, the finished product looks great. Too bad EDAG slapped a painfully awkward name onto this otherwise very promising concept car.

The body of the Light Car is constructed of lightweight basalt fiber. As strong as pricey carbon fiber commonly used in race-car construction, the basalt-fiber platform is cheaper to produce, provides high levels of occupant safety, and is entirely recyclable.

Power for the Light Car is provided by small electric motors located in each wheel.

The car's headlight and taillight housings aren't real hardware but instead are projected onto the exterior using LEDs. According to EDAG, owners can customize the shape and size of the lights (though there was no word as to the legalities of this clever option). Here's a company video animation that explains how it would work.

LEDs in the tail provide vehicles that are following the Light Car with information that could include driving tips like the Rinspeed's braking force (back off, I'm hitting the brakes HARD) and public service info like real-time traffic updates.

Peugeot_3008.jpg Peugeot 3008 Hybrid

French automaker Peugeot will show its new 3008 MPV, a small crossover that employs a 2.0-liter diesel-electric hybrid powertrain and four-wheel drive. The system should be available in European models of the 3008 by 2011.

Sized to compete with small sport-utes like the Nissan Rogue, the 3008 hybrid will combine 36-hp electric motor with the diesel engine. The electric motor will provide power to the rear while the engine drives the front wheels.

Peugeot has no sales presence in the States, but we wouldn't be shocked if the 3008's hybrid system shows up here in another automaker's cars someday.

Keep in mind, the standard gas-powered version of the 3008 (above, left) uses the same 1.6-liter motor as the BMW Mini Cooper. A hybrid/all-wheel-drive version of the Mini Crossover Concept (a Mini-based sport-ute shown at last year's Paris auto show) sure makes sense to us.  

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December 10, 2008

Peugeot Signs Deal to Team With Bosch on Diesel-Electric Hybrid Systems

peugeotprologuenews.peugeotprologue3.img.jpg French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen has done a deal with Germany's Robert Bosch that moves Peugeot's diesel-electric hybrid technology a big step closer to the market.

Under the agreement, Bosch will supply the electric motors and control systems and the regenerative braking for the four-wheel drive diesel hybrid systems PSA Peugeot plans to introduce in the 2011 model year.

The company showed a pair of diesel hybrid concepts, the Peugeot Prologue (right) and the Citroen Hypnos (below) at the Paris Auto Show earlier this year. You can read a bit more about it all (click here) at Edmunds Inside Line.

citroenhypnosnews.citroenhypnos500.img.jpg

 

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October 9, 2008

French Automakers, Utility to Collaborate on National Recharging Network for EVs

Logos.jpg Electricite de France, Europe's largest utility, and French automakers PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault today agreed to work together to develop a nationwide recharging network for electric cars.

The deal follows the announcement last month that Daimler and German utility RWE plan to build a network of electric-car recharging stations in Berlin.

The venture with Paris-based EDF calls for a business plan to set up outlets in France for recharging electric vehicles, or EVs, by 2011.

Renault and its Japanese affiliate, Nissan, have pledged to introduce EVs in the U.S. by 2010 and in Israel and Denmark by 2011. Renault also plans to introduce its first mass-market EVs domestically in 2012.

The project with EDF, which was announced at the Paris Auto Show today, will be open to other automakers, Renault spokeswoman Rochelle Chimenes said. Battery leasing and battery-exchange stations are being considered, she said.

Peugeot said in a statement today that its pact with EDF will cover EVs and rechargeable hybrids, building on plans the manufacturer announced in June to develop electric powertrains with Mitsubishi.

EDF and Toyota announced a partnership 13 months ago to evaluate rechargeable hybrids and charging infrastructure in Europe.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking at the car show today, said France plans to provide $550 million in research funding for low-emissions vehicle technologies. He also said a $6,827 bonus on purchases of cars generating less than 60 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, introduced in January, will remain in place until at least 2012 or until a subsidy for the 100,000th vehicle has been given.

Shai Agassi, the CEO and founder of Better Place, an American company that aims to reduce global dependency on oil through the creation of a worldwide electric-vehicle infrastructure, welcomed Sarkozy's comments.

He said his company "applauds and supports the efforts being made in France to extend the feebate policy to 2012, deploy zero emissions public car fleets, and improve battery technology.  We accept President Sarkozy's challenge to develop the necessary infrastructure supporting standardized electric vehicles in France, and around the world."  

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August 20, 2008

Peugeot Again to Unveil a Sinister Concept -- But This Time It's a Hybrid!

Peugeot-one-750x225.jpg

There's no mistaking it: Sinister forces are still at work at Peugeot.

The French automaker presented the scariest car at the last Paris Motor Show, a wicked jet-black sedan concept packing a 700-horsepower V12 turbodiesel engine. It's name: 908 RC.

The lion-logoed family business has done it again, producing the stealthy, diabolical "RC..." concept pictured here; it's full name will be revealed when the vehicle debuts at the Paris show this October.

Peugeot-two-750.jpg Peugeot-three-750.jpg
Peugeot is disclosing very little about the concept, but this much it has revealed: within the RC...'s four doors are four seats, and under the hood "highly innovative hybrid architecture."

The automaker's aim: a sedan offering a very high level of efficiency both in terms of performance -- with its potential 230-kilowatt, 313-horsepower electric motor -- and minimal impact on the environment -- carbon dioxide emissions of 109 grams per kilometer in the combined cycle or zero in electric mode.

In a statement, Peugeot says the vehicle demonstrates more than ever that the automaker "is capable of combining respect for the environment with driving pleasure."

Peugeot--four-750.jpg Peugeot-five-750.jpg
If only Peugeot would take this breathtaking beast to market. 

Scott Doggett, Contributor

 

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