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With its BB1
concept car, Peugeot has pushed back the conventions and boundaries of
current automobile manufacturing to create a totally new solution to the
current and future needs of urban mobility.
Capable of
seating four people in a vehicle just 2.5 metres long, the BB1 concept
car is a full electric vehicle that reinvents the automobile in every
way: architecture, style, interior design, interior space, connectivity
– while all the time respecting the environment.
The world is always
on the move and urban traffic levels are forever increasing. Everyone
wants to save time, but the protection of the environment is an ever
increasing priority.
To meet these ever
changing needs, Peugeot has developed a range of mobility options across
all of its many product offerings. Depending on age and individual
needs, everyone can find a suitable solution in Peugeot's lion-branded
range of bikes, motorbikes and automobiles.
Peugeot are,
however, constantly studying and sharing mobility ideas within all the
different sister companies to pool their expertise and their
creativity to create particularly innovative and original projects.
Indeed, Peugeot has always sought to be a global, recognized provider of
mobility, with an inventive, responsible and competitive range of
vehicles, whether they are on two, three or four wheels.
The BB1 concept
car, unveiled at the 63rd Frankfurt Motor Show, paves the way for this
ideal by pushing back the barriers to bring an innovative, fun,
expressive and stylish vehicle. This electric vehicle aims to explore
new grounds with regards to urban mobility.
A stylish
break with the past
The style of the
vehicle highlights the interior space and the unique driving position.
With its bold styling lines at the front, large glazed surface area, low
door waistline (for the passenger compartment ventilation system) and
extended wheel arches, the car represents a real move away from current
vehicle design.
Robust and
protective,
the quality and technology shine through in every detail, such as the
"full LED" front headlights and rear view cameras. The double bubble
roof, similar to the RCZ, helps with the feeling of space within the
vehicle, as does the openness and brightness created by the large
glazed surface areas.
An
environmentally-efficient vehicle...
Creative - the BB1
breaks new ground with its electric drive system. It is fitted with two
electric motors mounted in the rear wheels, designed in association with
Michelin. This original set-up maximises the interior
space and draws its inspiration from the world of the quad bike. They
produce a maximum power output of 15 kW (20hp) - or 7.5 kW per motor,
proving the optimum power to weight ratio for the vehicle in its urban
driving environment. This ensures the best possible response at
start-up (0 to 19 mph in 2.8 seconds) and excellent in-gear acceleration
(19 - 37 mph in 4 seconds), ensuring driveability and safety are to the
levels expected of a Peugeot.
The power for the
vehicle is provided by two lithium-ion battery packs supplying energy to
the respective electric motors located under the right and left-hand
rear seats, with a comfortable range of 75 miles. This layout avoids any
reduction in the interior space or the available storage space.
Furthermore, this location between the front and rear wheels helps with
the weight distribution of the vehicle and benefits vehicle stability,
especially during braking.
Innovative
light-weight structure...
Peugeot engineers
have completely reinvented the way to design a vehicle. The BB1 uses a
tubular chassis designed by Peugeot Motorcycles. It still, however,
includes all normal “car” dynamic systems: electric power steering,
suspension (double-wishbone front and rear suspension), friction damper
spring assemblies - granting the vehicle a level of road-holding to
match the vehicle’s performance, its urban nature and driveability and
safety levels worthy of the Peugeot Marque.
The body is made up
of a very light carbon fibre structure, designed to wrap around the
passenger compartment, all of which enables potential future
customisation and a possibility of a variety of vehicle shapes.
Finally, the
vehicle weight does not exceed 600 kg, including the batteries, enabling
all its mechanical parts to be placed in their ideal position, ensuring
optimal weight distribution.
An
environmentally-friendly concept
Thanks to its
electric propulsion, the BB1 is an environmentally-friendly vehicle
par excellence and emits no loud noise outside the vehicle and,
above all, no pollutant emissions owing to the fact that it consumes no
fossil fuels.
But this
eco-responsibility isn't limited to just driving. At a standstill,
the passenger compartment ventilation keeps operating in daylight thanks
to the solar panels placed on the roof of the vehicle. This enables two
functions: pre-ventilation of the interior and the trapping of
pollutants and ultra-fine dust particles (μm), due to the use of
high-performance filters and activated carbon.
The use of new
generation solar cells
The BB1's solar
panels use cutting-edge technology, designed in partnership with the
Ocean Vital foundation. Flexible (enabling their usage on
surfaces as complex as the dual-bubble roof of the BB1), they provide a
high yield of around 16% of energy captured (a much higher performance
than current systems) to power some of the vehicle’s systems.
The Ocean
Vital Foundation, created by round-the-world navigator Raphaël
Dinelli, develops new clean technologies with the aim of preserving our
natural resources and environment. As part of the BB1 project, Peugeot
and Ocean Vital have entered into an
agreement to support research and development into new renewable energy
technology and, therefore, encourage the development of research
projects and the "green economy" in France.
The story
continues...
The name "BB1"
isn't only a reference to Peugeot's history and the "Baby Peugeot"
models of 1905 and 1912.
This ultra-compact,
lightweight electric vehicle concept is also something of a throwback to
the Peugeot VLV. Three hundred and seventy seven of these were built
between 1941 and 1945, meeting the then special needs of users
throughout the Second World War. All this stands as proof that Peugeot
has always been able to create and adapt its mobility options to a
particular time and need. |
