Peugeot and Total SA Become Partners in Hybrid Technology Project

PSA Peugeot Citroen and French oil and gas group Total SA announced they will become partners in a new project to develop a version of the Peugeot’s 208 sub-compact sedan with improved fuel efficiency.

According to the companies, the 208 Hybrid FE model will be fitted with a hybrid powertrain which includes an electric controlled gearbox, a modified one-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor and battery. The French automaker released last fall the retail version of the 208, which doesn’t have a hybrid version.

Peugeot and Total SA said their main concern is to cut the weight of the car by 200 kilograms by using polycarbonates and composite materials to create the body parts, the passenger compartment and the windows. Modifications will also be made to the model’s aerodynamic profile and styling in order to reduce drag, and it will also feature special wheels and tire to reduce rolling resistance. Total SA will be the one providing the specially developed energy economy fuel and lubricants.

The two parties aim at developing a vehicle able to produce 49 grams of CO2 per kilometer and reach 0 to 100 km in 8 seconds. The average emission rating of Peugeot’s 2012 models was 121.6 grams per km, the lowest level among all volume automakers in Europe.