Peugeot

Narrow track vehicles - the convergence of the car and the motorcycle

By Mike Hanlon

01:22 November 19, 2009 PST

Since Nicholas Negroponte first came up with his landmark teething ring visualization of the coming together of communication, computing and content, the term convergence has become the uber buzzword. Now there’s convergence going on in the personal transport industry, with the car and the motorcycle morphing as car makers attempt to downsize their vehicles to make them better suited to the world’s increasingly crowded roads. This article begins with Nissan’s tandem two-seat, half width tilting car, the Landglider, and examines all the other work being done around the world as narrow track vehicles seriously begin to make their case. Read More

Peugeot previews another hybrid three wheeler - the Hybrid3 Evolution

By Mike Hanlon

13:10 November 12, 2009 PST

Peugeot looks to be getting serious about its 3WD hybrid design which we first saw last year at the 2008 Paris Motorcycle Show with the HYbrid3 compressor. Debuting at the Milan Motorcycle Show will be a roofless version named the HYbrid3 Evolution which replaces the 21bhp 125 cm3 supercharged motor with a 41bhp 300 cm3 supercharged engine giving it a total of 49bhp when combined with the two 3 kW (4.1bhp) front wheel motors. The Evolution comes with stop-start engine technology and returns 2.0 liters/100 km (117 U.S. mpg or 141 Imperial mpg) and just 48 g/km of CO2! Read More

France to spend US$2.2 billion on network of electric car charging stations

By Jeff Salton

19:15 October 11, 2009 PDT

As France’s car-makers push their plans to increase sales and give motorists more electric and hybrid-powered vehicle choices, the French Government has added its support by announcing it intends to spend €1.5 billion (about US$2.2 billion) on creating a battery-charging network for electric vehicles across the country. Part of its spend will also go towards further encouragement of clean vehicle technology and battery manufacturing. Read More

The Peugeot BB1 electric four seater just 2.5 metres long

By Gizmag Team

08:55 September 15, 2009 PDT

One of the most visually distinctive cars on show at Frankfurt on the opening day of the world’s most important car show was Peugeot’s BB1 concept car. Looks aside though, the inbuilt practicality of a car just 2.5 metres long and capable of seating four people indicates how the design freedom afforded by electric cars opens the way for reinventing the automobile in every way: architecture, style, interior design, interior space and connectivity. Read More

Peugeot's frugal RCZ Sports Car

By Gizmag Team

06:05 August 19, 2009 PDT

These are the first images of Peugeot's RCZ sports car due to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September. First unveiled as a concept two years ago, the production model's unique shape houses some remarkable technology. F'rinstance, an active rear spoiler, a Twin-Scroll turbocharger, direct petrol injection, variable valve lift and variable valve timing, Hill Assist to facilitate maneuvers on steep gradients, an intelligent traction control system (ASR), electronic brake force distribution (EBFD) and emergency brake assist (EBA). There's also a concept RCZ Hybrid4 which uses a 120 kW 2.0-liter HDi FAP diesel engine at the front and a 27 kW electric motor at the rear to deliver 70 mpg. Read More

Electric concept vehicle in the clear

By Paul Best

19:41 May 26, 2009 PDT

Smaller car = less weight = less energy to get from A to B. It's a simple equation that's well understood by those looking to design the car of tomorrow. Among them is industrial designer Alan Kravchenko, who caught our eye with this clean-lined concept for a compact urban commuter dubbed the Peugeot Clear. Read More

2008 Peugeot Design Contest: tommorrow's urban commuters

By Noel McKeegan

02:47 October 23, 2008 PDT

Peugeot has announced the winners of its 2008 Design Competition with RD, a morphing three-wheeler from 25 year old Columbian designer Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar claiming the top prize in what has once again proved to be an invigorating platform for futuristic automotive design. Now in its fifth year, the theme set down for this year's contest was to "imagine the Peugeot in the worldwide megopolis of tomorrow", a challenge the winning entry meets with a small footprint that gives it the scope to navigate narrow roads combined with the ability to shorten itself by folding upwards at a central hinge point in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Along with the €10,000 prize, the designer will see his vision produced in full-scale model form for the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show. Read More

2008 Paris Motor Show round-up

By Noel McKeegan

19:37 October 19, 2008 PDT

As the curtain falls on the Paris Motor Show for 2008 we take a look back at some of the biggest surprises and brightest innovations to emerge from this massive global automotive extravaganza. As a starting point it's hard to go past Lamborghini, which emulated its 2007 most-talked-about crown by showing its Estoque concept. As a mid-engined four-door coupé with a V10 motor and permanent four-wheel drive, it's not really eco-inspired but a weapon to behold for the family man. Mazda definitely made our short-list for the most striking design with the aerodynamic Kiyora Urban compact and Citroen also floated some compelling concepts including the colorful Hypnos luxury hybrid crossover and the virtual-meets-real-world GTbyCITROEN which will appear on-screen in the next installment of Gran Turismo. Read More

Peugeot's 3-wheel hybrid scooter concept puts a roof over your head

By Noel McKeegan

00:41 October 15, 2008 PDT

October 15, 2008 It's not a car and it's not quite a scooter. Peugeot's HYmotion3 compressor concept vehicle is an original mix of previously seen design elements - a semi-enclosed shell akin to BMW's C1 or the Benelli Adiva and the carving 3-wheel layout of Piaggio's MP3 - with hybrid drivetrain technology added to produce a 2-person vehicle that promises low CO2 emissions as well as greater safety and weather protection than conventional scooters. Read More

The Peugeot PROLOGUE hybrid

By Jack Martin

05:29 September 16, 2008 PDT

September 16, 2008 It’s Paris Auto Show time again and not surprisingly, we’re seeing a rash of new announcements of concept cars and new production models. In a radical departure from the normal full disclosure of details, Peugeot has been quite circumspect in the information it has released about the PROLOGUE Concept due for a full unveiling in Paris. The 147kW (200 bhp) PROLOGUE, according to the press release “proposes an innovative combination of ideas at a number of different levels: its architecture, its style, its interior ambience, its modularity, its original high-tech equipment and also its new generation hybrid technology.” Read More

Mazda’s Smart Idle Stop System uses Direct Injection Engine Technology

By Jack Martin

20:12 September 8, 2008 PDT

September 9, 2008 The imperatives of better fuel economy and reduced emissions are breeding some fascinating developments of the good ol’ Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). One of the most logical ideas could have been invented by any schoolboy – turn off the engine when it isn’t being used. VW was the first to trial the idea and BMW, MINI, smart, Citroen and Peugeot have followed suit, all using electrical power to restart the engine, requiring beefed up starting systems to cope with ever-more-congested urban conditions (25% of European driving time is now spent at standstill). Now Mazda has come up with a better idea - restarting the engine through combustion. Mazda’s system initiates engine restart by injecting fuel directly into the cylinder while the engine is stopped, and igniting it to generate downward piston force. Read More

Peugeot 888 Concept Car

By Jack Martin

19:57 September 1, 2008 PDT

September 2, 2008 The Peugeot 888 Concept was conceived as the personal vehicle for the future Metropolis by Oskar Johansen (Norway). The all-electric two seater is designed to shorten its wheelbase for city driving by an ingenious hydraulic tilting system. This raises the driver in the cockpit for a better view, increases manouverability in narrow places making the car able to take a sharp u-turn, and enable the car to fit into smaller parking spaces. The 888 is one of the 23 finalists in the Fifth bi-annual Peugeot Design Competition which is now open for voting via the internet. Previous winners include such remarkable concepts as the Moonster (2001), 4002 (2003), Moovie (2005) and the Flux (2007). The competition is truly one of the highlights of the Motor Show season every second year because the winning project actually gets built by the team at Peugeot. Check out the full 23 finalists here. Read More

H2Origin demonstrator vehicle achieves 300km range

By Noel McKeegan

18:45 April 22, 2008 PDT

April 23, 2008 A three year collaborative research project by PSA Peugeot Citroën and fuel cell specialist Intelligent Energy has born fruit in the form of the H2Origin demonstrator vehicle, a battery-electric vehicle that uses a specially designed hydrogen fuel cell to triple its range to an impressive 300km (186 miles). The hydrogen storage system developed for the zero-emission demonstrator vehicle, which is based on the Peugeot Partner Origin van, is compact enough to squeeze under the bonnet and utilizes a swappable storage rack of compressed hydrogen tanks that slide out the rear, by-passing the need for a conventional fuel station and therefore simplifying the infrastructure needed to make hydrogen-powered vehicles a commercial reality. Read More

Peugeot upgrades its in-dash audio/visual/navigation system

By Loz Blain

21:30 November 26, 2007 PST

November 27, 2007 Peugeot has announced an upgrade to its audio/visual/navigation system. The RT4 Multimedia system, launching shortly on selected 207 models throughout the UK, features a road-proof 30GB hard drive for up to 180 hours of MP3 music tracks, pictures and videos, as well as full color satellite navigation with mapping covering Western Europe and the TMC traffic information system. Happily, it's also significantly cheaper than its predecessor. Read More

Peugeot's Second Life showcase

By Kyle Sherer

20:52 September 9, 2007 PDT

September 10, 2007 Second Life hosts 7000 businesses and boasts a GDP of $64 million (as of September 2006) and with estimates of this year's GDP running as high as $600 million, it's no surprise that the corporate world is making its presence felt. The latest foray by car manufacturer Peugeot, will see the company presenting a virtual showcase of its new 308 RC Z concept car on September 11. Read More

Peugeot 308 SW Prologue Concept

By Shaun McKeegan

18:19 September 2, 2007 PDT

September 2, 2007 Peugeot will provide a preview of the new 308 at the Frankfurt International Motorshow under the guise of the 308 SW Prologue. Equipped with an additive-enhanced diesel particulate filter system (DPFS), that reduces CO2 emissions, the 308 SW Prologue combines the strengths of the new 308 hatchback with innovative SW features like the new “wrap-around” rear end which allows for the installation of a third row of seats and improves rear vision. Read More

Peugeot set to unveil 308 RC Z concept car

By Loz Blain

22:47 July 30, 2007 PDT

July 31, 2007 One of the highlights of the upcoming 2007 Frankfurt IAA motor show in September is sure to be the Peugeot 308 RC Z concept car. The brutish, muscular looks of the 2x2 hatchback coupe are unashamedly reminiscent of the Audi TT, and Peugeot is using the concept to test the waters on a sporty variant of the standard 308. While the company points out that the aim of the RC Z, like any concept, is "to pioneer technical and styling ideas free from the constraints of volume production", the fact that it shares so many components with the existing hatchback hints that the RC Z might be quite close to production-ready. So the response it receives at Frankfurt, the world's largest motor show, could be very telling. Read More

Audi and Peugeot diesel sportscars set to battle in Le Mans 24 Hour

By Loz Blain

June 15, 2007 Since the invention of the automobile, winning on Sunday has meant selling lots of cars on Monday and beyond and this weekend’s running of the fabled Le Mans 24 hour race looks set to influence a lot of sales over the coming decade. Last year Audi’s R10 diesel race car used its frugal fuel consumption, 650 bhp and 1100 nm of torque to win every race it entered. Peugeot meanwhile have been developing a diesel car too – with 700 bhp and 1200 nm. This weekend they face each other for the first time. Astoundingly, the Peugeot has taken first and third grid positions in qualifying. Read on for the background and where you can watch the 24 Heures du Mans unfold. Read More

First images of Peugeot 308

By Mike Hanlon

June 6, 2007 The Peugeot 308 hatchback will be launched in Europe in the autumn; it will replace the 307 hatchback, which has been an important car in the Peugeot range with global sales exceeding three million units. These are the first glimpse images released by the French giant, which will produce the car at its Sochaux and Mulhouse production facilities. Indications suggest the car will be very environmentally friendly and will be available in three and five door versions. Read More

FLUX wins Peugeot P.L.E.A.S.E. Design Competition

By Mike Hanlon

February 15, 2007 Driven by the desire to design a car that would give an enjoyable experience to each of its occupants, Mihai Panaitescu, a Romanian design student studying in Turin, created the Flux, the winning project in the fourth on-line Peugeot Design Competition. The runners up in second and third places were Njooy (Wesley Saikawa from Brazil, aged 27) and Allscape (Gustavo Ferrero from Venezuela, aged 29). At 20 years old, the youngest ever winner of the Peugeot Design Competition, Mihai submitted a project that fits in perfectly with its environment. The strength of the Peugeot Design competition has grown every time, and previous winners always create a lot of interest - the Moovie won in 2005, and created massive public interest when they built it. Read More

Fourth Peugeot Design Competition - remarkable source of automotive ideas

By Mike Hanlon

January 2, 2007 The Peugeot design competition looks set to become one of the most important such competitions in the world. Now in it’s fourth year, the latest competition

is now in the voting phase, with internet users being asked to vote on the thirty selected projects prior to January 23 to determine the 10 finalists. As with previous winners such as the Moonster (2001 winner), 4002 (2003) and the incredibly popular Moovie which won the 2005 competition, Peugeot will reward the winner by building a full size version of the car to be shown at the Frankfurt 2007 Motor Show and everyone will be able to drive the car virtually as it will be incorporated into an XBox 360 game. For example, here's the story that the Moovie had won the competition, and here's the story and image gallery of the finished working model. This year the theme for the contest was “P.L.E.A.S.E. Innovate” with the acronym standing for Pleasurable (to drive), Lively, Efficient, Accessible, Simple and Ecological. With the internet being used to make the entry into the competition more accessible, a record 4,000 entries from 113 countries were received this year, pushing the standard of the final 30 to a new high. We won’t bias the judging by saying what we voted for, but we’ve picked our top ten and they are all interesting an inspiring in their own right. The contest is well worth a look for motoring aficionados. Read More

The Peugeot 908 V12 HDi DPFS

By Mike Hanlon

October 3, 2006 Over the years, we’ve often had emails from technology fans asking what motorsport has to do with our primarily advanced technology menu and our response is always that new technology is not just about doing it different but doing it better. Motorsport is different – motorsport requires doing it best. That means that you won’t even be competitive unless you have world’s best practice or thereabouts in every single aspect of a race team, let alone the design of the car and the quality of driver. So when one of the world’s top manufacturers sets out with a goal of starting from scratch and winning a world class event, we figure that’s a smorgasbord of fascinating technologies and organization worth exploring. In June 2005, Peugeot announced its decision to accept a new technological challenge: to win one of the world’s most prestigious and demanding motor races, the Le Mans 24 Hours, with a car powered by an HDi diesel engine equipped with a diesel particulate filter system (DPFS). This week, the company unveiled the race car and a lot of the details. Read More

Peugeot 207 EPURE fuel cell concept car tipped as future model

By Mike Hanlon

September 9, 2006 Peugeot is clearly talking up its latest Paris Motor Show concept car as a glimpse of a future 207 model and the prospect is very exciting – the 207 EPURE concept car uses an electric motor combined with PSA Peugeot Citroen Group’s new 20 kW GENEPAC experimental fuel cell which has been designed in partnership with the French AEC (Atomic Energy Commission). The electricity produced by the fuel cell is used to provide extra power and operating range to the lithium-ion battery and hence the 50kW electric motor. The combination fuel cell - electric powertrain gives the 207 EPURE a range of around 218 miles while still providing a maximum speed of 81 mph. The pearl white exterior of the 207 EPURE highlights the purity of the concept car’s lines while strengthening the ecological credentials of the technology that powers it. Read More

Peugeot 908 RC 5.5-litre V12 HDi limousine

By Mike Hanlon

August 12, 2006 Just 12 months ago, we wrote about Peugeot’s delectable two-seat 907 GT coupe concept being prepared for the major European Motor Show of the summer (Frankfurt), and now we’re seeing yet another 12 cylinder luxury masterpiece being prepared for its public debut at Mondial De L’Automobile (Paris) on September 30. This one though is very different as it is powered by a new breed of motor which is mounted behind the passengers. The 5.5-litre V12 HDi DPFS (diesel particulate filter system) diesel engine was designed to take part in the "Le Mans Race Series" programme in 2007 and has a level of performance unprecedented for a diesel engine - more than a 700bhp and an astounding 1200Nm of torque. Read More

Peugeot unveils V12 HDi DPFS diesel motor

By Mike Hanlon

June 16 2006 A year ago this week, Peugeot announced its decision to take up a new technological challenge: to win the Le Mans 24 Hours race with a car powered by an HDi diesel engine. Though much of the potential thunder of winning in a diesel has been usurped by the already dominant perfrormanc eof the Audi disel race cars this year, Peugeot intends to use the race effort to showcase its brand values: reliability, dynamic performance, style illustrated by the feline lines and, finally, innovation expressed, amongst other means, by the use of environmentally friendly technology. The level of performance expected – more than 515kW (700 bhp) of power and a torque output greater than 1.200 Nm – is without precedent in a diesel engine and is a direct result of Peugeot’s current level of know-how in diesel technology, linked to the mechanical characteristics of the V12. Read More