Peugeot has released further details of the imminent launch of its first diesel hybrid.

The 3008 crossover vehicle is the first in the carmaker’s range set to benefit from the newly developed diesel hybrid system, which will see the model achieve an impressive 74.4mpg on a combined cycle and emit just 99g/km of CO2.

Set to be the world’s first mass-produced diesel hybrid, the 3008 HYbrid4 benefits from the frugal fuel use capabilities of both hybrid technology and diesel. While petrol hybrids have been popular, a diesel equivalent has been long-awaited as the fuel achieves better economy than petrol. The expense of producing such a system has deterred other carmakers but the French firm- a leader in producing fuel efficient vehicles-decided that, with fuel prices increasing all the time, now is the perfect time to produce such a vehicle.

The 3008-already a popular vehicle for the carmaker- will now feature a 2.0 litre 163 bhp HDi diesel engine teamed with a 37 bhp electric motor, giving it a combined power output of 200 bhp. A maximum torque of 500 Nm is also available, split with 300Nm at the front from the HDi diesel engine and 200 Nm at the rear generated by the electric motor.

To manage the hybrid system, Peugeot also gives the driver a choice of four different driving modes; “Auto” mode, when the entire system (engine and electric motor) is automatically controlled, “ZEV” mode (Zero Emission Vehicle) provides access to an extended all-electric mod, the HDi engine will only work when strong acceleration is required, “Four-wheel drive mode” (4WD) instructs both power trains to operate together as far as possible; the rear wheels are driven by the electric motor and the front wheels by the HDi diesel engine. This gives the vehicle the “all-terrain" capabilities equivalent to those of an SUV. Finally “Sport" mode gives the driver a quicker performance response and more dynamic driving responses.

The new HYbrid4 system teamed with a 6-speed manual gearbox and Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries even comes complete with stop/start technology helping to boost the fuel saving of the 3008 even further.

The 3008 HYbrid4 will be produced in France and will go on sale in Europe during the spring of 2011. Peugeot is also set to produce a 508 diesel hybrid, although details have yet to be released.

Pricing for the new 3008 HYbrid4 is expected to be released closer to the launch.

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PSA Peugeot Citroen has been boosted by a €200million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank for the development of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

A total of €400million will be poured into the plug-in hybrid programme with the aim of developing multi-purpose vehicles that combine the advantages of a diesel engine on the highway with those of an electric motor for city driving. Around 500 PSA Peugeot Citroen employees will work on the project at the Velizy Technical Centre in France.

The European Investment Bank aims to contribute towards the balanced development and economic cohesion of EU member states and has granted the funding support under the European Clean Transport Facility programme, which is one of its measures aimed at stimulating the European economy.

It is hoped the programme can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions through research and development and innovation, as well as encouraging the production of cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Since December 2008, the European Investment Bank has committed around €8.6billion in loans to car manufacturers and automotive equipment manufacturers with €6.7million awarded under the European Clean Transport Facility programme.

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The Paris Motor Show is still several months away, but Peugeot has offered an early preview of its new 508 saloon car that is expected to be introduced at the October event.

Boasting a new e-HDi system – meaning new generation stop and start with improved driveability and economy – as well as Hybrid 4 technology, the vehicle has all-wheel drive potential.

The Peugeot 508.

The Hybrid 4 technology sees a parallel architecture combine with a diesel engine, a six-speed electronically controlled manual gearbox and an electric motor. The engine is positioned at the front of the vehicle with the power electronics and electric machine at the rear allowing for a four-wheel drive with the engine driving the front wheels while the electric motor drives the rear wheels. Everything is managed electronically so there is no mechanical connection between the front and the rear.

The hybrid version of the 508 is expected to produce emissions at just 99g/km. It will be built for the European market in Rennes-La-Janais before also being produced in Wuhan, China, from 2011.

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Peugeot announced earlier this week that it was launching a new mobility hire service in the UK with an innovative green twist. Our reporter Craig Thomas finds out exactly what the French carmaker’s new bikes, vans and everything in between service can offer…

By Craig Thomas

Peugeot has just launched a UK pilot programme called Mu, its a metropolitan mobility service based in London and Bristol, which will run until the end of 2010.

Mu takes advantage of Peugeot’s unique position as the only volume carmaker that also builds bicycles, scooters and vans, which allows customers access to all of these forms of transport to solve their mobility needs.

The scheme is web-based, with customers signing on online at a dedicated website and paying for credits that can be exchanged for the use of anything from a wide range of Peugeot cars, vans, scooters, bicycles or accessories. The scheme is operated from existing Peugeot dealerships, with the pilot restricted to one in Chiswick, west London, and one in the centre of Bristol, both owned by Robins and Day.

Mu (the name is derived from the French verb mouvoir, which means ‘to move’), is available not just Peugeot customers – although in France, where the scheme has been piloted in four cities already (Rennes, Lyon, Nantes and Brest) 80% of Mu subscribers have been owners of cars with the rampant lion on the nose. However it arguably makes more sense to the many city dwellers who don’t own a car because they would only use it infrequently.

This is not just a hire scheme to rival the many commercial car rental companies, though: Mu offers considerably more flexibility and a range of mobility options that address the requirements of every demographic, from singletons to multi-generational families.

So, for example, if you want a van to move house, go to pick up some furniture or building materials for a DIY project, you can use your points to borrow a Peugeot Boxer. Alternatively, if you have a small family car, but want to go on a day trip with visiting relatives, a seven-seat 5008 MPV could be an option. Or if you want a car to impress on a hot date, the latest RCZ sports car could be yours for the night.

But Mu isn’t just for four wheels: if you just want to hire a bicycle to get around town, you can use your credits for that. There’s also a wide range of scooters available to buzz around town on – ideal if you have a lot going on around the city and a tight schedule.

That said, Peugeot claims to be the leading low CO2 manufacturer, and there are numerous diesel cars and vans available to hire via the Mu scheme, which will augmented by the i0n electric car that the company will launch at the end of this year.

So how does it work? You first register for a Mu account at the website (http://www.mu.peugeot.co.uk/), after which you will receive confirmation via email. A membership card will then be generated and sent to you. You then purchase points from the website, using a credit or debit card, which can be exchanged for whichever form of transport you wish to use. Bookings are made in advance – it’s not possible to just turn up at the dealership – and the minimum hire period is half a day. There are age stipulations – a minimum age of 21 for access to most of the range, and 25 if you wish to drive the RCZ or any of the coupe-cabriolets – but these are broadly similar to those you’d find at any hire company.

Each point costs the equivalent of £5 and tariffs for the different mobility options vary. For example, rental of a 50cc scooter (including helmet and protective clothing) for half a day costs 70 points (£14), with a whole day costing 90 points (£18). A 207 supermini, on the other hand, costs 125 points (£25) for half a day or 175 points (£35) for a whole day. If you want the latest RCZ sports coupe, a day will cost 400 points (£80), while bagging one for a special weekend mini-break will set you back 700 points (£140).

The scheme is innovative as not only does it give consumers access to a range of mobility solutions, but it can also match a specific model to the consumer’s specific mobility needs. It should also lower individuals’ carbon footprints: if you need to plan your car usage in advance, it’s likely to be less indiscriminate than if you own a car; it allows you to use a scooter (with its lower emissions) instead of a car if you don’t need four-wheeled transport; and, with diesel hybrids and electric cars being added to the Mu fleet, it might be possible to restrict your usage entirely to low-CO2 cars.

Peugeot anticipates that Mu will generate 10,000 European customers by the end of 2010 and plans to have schemes in place in 200 cities by the end of 2012. If other companies jump on the bandwagon and launch similar schemes, it could be a real solution to questions of urban mobility.

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A letter from a consortium of carmakers warns the UK government that a failure to confirm electric car subsidies will jeopardise the switch to greener cars, reports The Guardian.

According to the national newspaper, Mitsubishi, Nisssan, Peugeot and Citroen have written a joint letter to the business secretary Vince Cable and transport secretary Philip Hammond warning that "without the incentives, the UK will become a significantly less attractive market" to the electric car manufacturers.

It reads: "As businesses, we will target the markets that provide the best environment for selling our vehicles. The emergency budget made no specific reference to supporting low-carbon vehicle incentives and has therefore left our businesses uncertain of the government’s position."

Last week Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond said that it is likely that there would be a grant for buyers of electric and plug-in hybrids, although he could not confirm if it would match the £5,000 promised by the former Labour government (see story).

The companies, which all plan to launch mass-market electric cars in the UK by next year, said the vehicles were of "critical importance" to the growth of new green jobs. Accordingly the climate and energy secretary, Chris Huhne, has said such posts were central to government job-creation plans.

Electric cars are also central to Government plans to cut the country’s carbon emissions to meet legally-binding targets.

Cutting the grant for electric cars would hit of Nissan’s all-electric Leaf model. The carmaker is currently planning to manufacture its electric Leaf model at its plant in Sunderland from 2013. Currently around 4,000 people are employed at the North East factory.

Mitsubishi will retail its i-MiEV electric car model in the UK from January 2011-when the grants were scheduled to be introduced. Peugeot and Citroen likewise will introduce their electric car models from next year, both of which based on the i-MiEV.

The Government has still yet to confirm details of potential grants for electric cars and refused to comment on any timescale for incentives to the sector.

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The two companies have already a pretty extensive history in collaboration, with the forthcoming Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot i0n both based on the Mitsubishi iMiEV.

Now this collaboration has been extended with the news of a new feasibility study to be carried out by the two parties with the expectation of a new all electric light commercial vehicle being developed.

The study will centre around the development and supply of electric powertrains and will include an analysis of battery packaging.

There is no news yet on whether the light commercial vehicle will be based around an existing model or whether the partnership will collaborate on an entirely new vehicle. At TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk we speculate that it would make sense to develop a new platform for any commercial application to minimise any loss of space that housing numerous battery packs would bring.

As always, more information when we get it.

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Tuesday 15 June. The Green Piece Column.

The highly competitive world of car manufacturing isn’t exactly the environment in which you’d expect relationships to be formed. However, since car making has gone green it seems manufacturers are lining up to be each other’s BFF.

Last week, Swedish manufacturer Saab declared its intention to find a ‘partner’ to help develop a new premium small car (see article) expected to be a throwback to the original Saab 92 launched in 1949. Ford too has indicated that it would be open to considering green car partnerships (see article). However, while Saab and Ford may have only just posted their lonely hearts ads, there are a host of manufacturers that have already declared their love for one another with green cars being the aphrodisiac that’s igniting these new romances.

Here we take a look at the industry’s hottest couples…

When Renault met Nissan…

Partners since 1999, French manufacturer Renault and Japanese carmaker Nissan have motoring’s greenest relationship – Renault has a 44.4 per cent stake in Nissan, while Nissan owns a 15 per cent stake in Renault.

Together they have been signing deals with municipalities, governments and utilities around the world to introduce their electric cars into key locations while also supporting the building of recharging infrastructure in these zones. It began with a deal with Project Better Place to mass market electric vehicles in Israel and has since expanded to include emission free agreements in areas such as the US states of Oregon and Tennessee; areas of California; Orlando in Florida (see article); the State Government of New South Wales in Australia (see article); Yokohama in Japan; Wuhan in China (see article); Portugal; the Principality of Monaco; Lombardy in Italy (see article); and Milton Keynes in the UK (see article). The companies are even working together in a bid to take over South Korean auto maker Ssangyong Motor Company to feed strong demand in the developing markets of South East Asia (see article).

A love triangle: Renault, Nissan and Daimler

It’s fair to say that Renault-Nissan is the green car industry’s power couple but they clearly have an open relationship as indicated by their decision to form a bond with German car giant Daimler (see article).

Daimler took a 3.1 per cent stake in both Renault and Nissan earlier this year, with the Alliance returning the favour. Now they will work together to increase the development and production of electric cars with Renault-Nissan engines expected to be used in the electric drive Smart cars. We have more on this partnership in a previous Green Piece column.

Another threesome: Mitsubishi, Peugeot and Citroen

PSA Peugeot Citroen is the second largest car manufacturer in Europe and its union dates back to 1974 when Peugeot acquired a 38.2 per cent stake in fellow French car maker Citroen – a union that was expanded in May 1976 when Peugeot took an 89.95 per cent stake in the then bankrupt company.

Now PSA has looked to Japan for electric car inspiration and has forged an agreement with Mitsubishi which will see the i-MiEV electric vehicle sold in Europe under the Peugeot and Citroen brands – as the Peugeot i0n (see article) and Citroen C-ZERO. The vehicle will be available in the UK from the end of the year and offers an 80mile range and a top speed of 81mph.

Their partnership does not end there, however, with reports now suggesting that the companies will work together again with Mitsubishi to supply a small internal combustion engine for Peugeot and Citroen cars with a 1.0-1.3litre displacement (see article).

The hot new couple: Toyota and Tesla

The undisputed hybrid car leader is to team up with the electric car market’s hottest newcomer as Toyota and Tesla Motors join forces prompted by Toyota purchasing $50million of Tesla common stock (see article).

A deal with Toyota is expected to fast track the Tesla Model S into production after the company hit financial difficulties last year – the vehicle will have a range of 200miles and can race from 0-60mph in just 5.6seconds. Meanwhile, Tesla is expected to play a key role in the introduction of a Toyota electric car, now rumoured to be unveiled before the end of the year based on an existing Toyota model. The partnership represents a significant shift in direction for Toyota, a company that has previously focused its mid-term strategy almost exclusively on hybrid cars. There is even talk that Toyota may team up with Daimler to accelerate the production of fuel cell vehicles too (see article).

Our verdict

The rush for love in the car industry is no coincidence and many of these partnerships will be looked back on as marriages of convenience.

With the industry still reeling from the credit crunch it makes sense for car makers to pool their resources; and with a new age of electric cars on the horizon, sharing knowledge, skills and expertise will assist the manufacturers in their efforts to hit emission targets and be well positioned for a surge in demand for electrification.

Whether these relationships end up being more “Cheryl and Ashley” than “Posh and Becks” remains to be seen – but if they bring more green cars to consumers at a faster rate then we’re happy to let sparks fly.

Faye Sunderland

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Future models from PSA Peugeot-Citroen will soon benefit from the second generation of Valeo’s stop-start system.

The system will be launched in the third quarter of 2010 and will be featured alongside the HDi diesel engines of Peugeot and Citroen in around a million vehicles by 2013.

The first generation of the stop-start system has been in production since 2004 and has featured in models including Smart cars and the Mercedes Benz A- and B-Class vehicles. Now this new generation micro-hybrid system sees the power and control electronics integrated into the electrical machine, reducing the size of the packaging.

The micro-hybrid system cuts off the vehicle’s engine at a red light or in a traffic jam and restarts it when engine power is solicited. To optimise fuel savings further, it can cut off the engine even before the vehicle comes to a complete stop – as soon as it falls below 5mph with an automated transmission and 12mph with a manual transmission. This helps to reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 15 per cent in congested urban traffic.

Engine restarts are immediate and there are no vibrations or noises; and because the engine cut-off phases are longer and more frequent, the fuel savings are greater than those available with other systems.

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Regular readers of TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk will know that Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and PSA Peugeot Citroen Group are no strangers to one another.

The two companies have already collaborated for the electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV model that will be sold under the Peugeot and Citroen brands – as the Peugeot i0n and Citroen C-ZERO – in Europe. Now, they are joining forces again.

According to reports in the Nikkei, the two companies are in talks over plans for Mitsubishi to supply PSA Peugeot Citroen with small internal combustion engine cars from 1.0-1.3litre displacements. The vehicles would be manufactured in emerging countries.

The reports suggests that the idea of a capital alliance was first suggested back in March and Mitsubishi remains keen to boost its cost competitiveness at a time when rivals are growing bigger through alliances – such as the partnerships between Nissan, Renault and Daimler.

It is now hoped that an agreement will be reached by the end of the year and that Mitsubishi will use its technology to make the mini vehicles small and light to achieve high fuel efficiency. It also plans to manufacture the small cars in Thailand in 2011 before considering mass production in China, India and Brazil.

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Having already enjoyed a hat-trick of collaborations, the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and PSA Peugeot Citroen will soon be joining forces again.

The Japanese manufacturer and its French counterpart have come to an agreement regarding a compact SUV that will allow for the adaptation of the Mitsubishi RVR platform for both the Peugeot and Citroen brands.

The vehicles will be launched in Europe in 2012 and will have specific designs for both Peugeot and Citroen, while also sharing many components with the Mitsubishi model, which is known as the ASX in Europe. This popular SUV is known for its low fuel consumption features including regenerative braking and electric power steering.

The vehicles will be available in both four- and two-wheel drive and it is expected that the companies will produce 50,000 units a year for both brands. PSA Peugeot Citroen will also use its 1.6 HDi diesel engine in the models and CO2 emissions are expected to be particularly low, in the region of 123g/km of CO2.

Previously, the companies had joined forces for the Mitsubishi Outlander, Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C-Crosser agreement in 2005; the construction of a joint plant in Russia; and most notably for green car fans, the European launch in late 2010 of the Peugeot i0n and Citroen C-ZERO models to be based on Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV.

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