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Visitors to the 67th Milan International Cycle and Motorbike Show will
discover, from 10 to 15 November 2009, the HYbrid3 Evolution concept.
With its three wheels, this concept is
positioned between two clearly distinct worlds: that of the scooter and
that of the car. The HYbrid3 Evolution is a roofless version of the
HYbrid3 compressor, presented at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. It has in
its genes therefore the ability to meet the expectations of different
potential customers.
This new "concept-scooter" is based on
the far-reaching experience of Peugeot Motorcycles in the world of the
scooter and on the superb creative and innovative skills of Automobiles
Peugeot stylists and engineers. With an electric motor in each of its
two front wheels and a naturally aspirated engine at the rear, it uses
hybrid technology solutions to achieve its 3-wheel drive capability.
This new study, following the example
of the 100% electric vehicles presented at the last Frankfurt Motor Show further
illustrates Peugeot's ability to offer a solution perfectly adapted to
the diverse needs of urban mobility.
The architecture of the HYbrid3
Evolution is based on the concept of three wheels for stability, safety
and maximum driveability. Its width of 82 cm allows it to adapt to urban
traffic while still retaining the efficiency of a two-wheeler.
Its suspension and structure are
designed to accommodate the hybrid technology and the two electric
motors in the front wheels.The front suspension, consisting of
deformable parallelograms (i.e. wheels that incline) has at its centre a
transverse damper for optimal driveability and stability. The suspension
assemblies are positioned on the wheel hub. Like a low-slung tubular
chassis, reducing the height of the vehicle's centre of gravity.
For optimal safety the brakes
incorporate an ABS system coupled with a linked integral braking system
(PBS) which acts simultaneously on the rear wheel and the two front
wheels. The braking system operates by means of three ventilated discs
and, in addition, via the front electric motors which in this way
recover energy to recharge the batteries. This assembly (3 wheels +
electric motor braking) also makes it possible to reduce the braking
distance by around 30 % compared to a two-wheel scooter equipped with
traditional brakes.
Hybrid Technology
The petrol engine providing the
concept's rear wheel drive has an output of 41 bhp. This is a
new 300 cm3 compressor engine. It is compact and benefits from the PSA
Peugeot Citroën Group's ‘downsizing' strategy : linked to a compressor,
it obtains the performance of a 500 cc whilst controlling the level of
CO2 emissions.
In addition to rear-wheel drive, the
vehicle also has another drive mode.
Two electric motors, one in each wheel,
are present at the front of the vehicle. With an output of 2x3 kW, they
are powered by lithium-ion batteries which can be recharged by an energy
recovery system active during deceleration and braking.
As a result there are no mechanical
connections between the front and the rear, with everything controlled
electronically ("by wire"), which works in favour of the vehicle's
compact size.
The HYbrid3 Evolution can, therefore,
be driven in a number of different ways:
- in electric only
mode (start-up, low speed and deceleration, offering a range of up
to 10 km);
- in petrol only
mode, at stable speed on the open road, when the petrol engine
attains its optimal efficiency;
- petrol
engine/electric motor combined, with the design of this
electric/petrol hybrid allowing three-wheel drive for enhanced
safety and driveability under all circumstances:
- as required by
road conditions;
- during phases of
acceleration for extra power ("boost" function) and grip, when the
power can attain a maximum of 30 + (3x2) = 36 kW (49 bhp).
Another system contributing to the
vehicle's overall efficiency is STOP & START. This places the petrol
engine on standby when the vehicle is at a standstill (at traffic
lights, a stop sign or in traffic jams) or when the vehicle is being
driven in electric mode. This technology allows for significant gains in
terms of fuel consumption and emissions, especially when traffic is
particularly heavy. It also means that the petrol engine can be
restarted instantly and imperceptibly for the driver as and when
necessary.
It will be noted that when driven in
electric-only mode, the HYbrid3 Evolution is the perfect "good citizen",
as it then produces no CO2 emissions whatsoever and becomes silent.
Finally, the HYbrid3 Evolution keeps
fuel consumption in the standardised cycle to a minimum, at 2.0
litres/100 km for 48 g/km of CO2 !
From 2011, the HYbrid4 3008 will be the
Group's first vehicle to be sold with an HDi engine at the front and an
electric motor at the rear.
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