Sunday 3 May 2015

Plug-In Hybrid Version of Peugeot 308 Announced

CleanTechnica.com: Peugeot recently unveiled the 308 R Hybrid — a plug-in hybrid version of its popular compact hatchback that possesses a fairly notable spread of specs, based on the recent press release accompanying the unveiling.

The Peugeot 308 R plug-in hybrid hits 0-62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 4 seconds, features a combined horsepower of 500 (373 kW) and a maximum torque of 538 lb-feet (730 N·m), and ‘only’ emits 70 grams of carbon dioxide emissions for every kilometer traveled.



The plug-in hybrid is home to 3 different sources of power to provide these combined specs — a 4-cylinder 1.6-liter THP 270 S&S gasoline engine, and two 85 kW electric motors (one to each axle).

The Director of Peugeot Sport, Bruno Famin, commented: “Peugeot Sport’s expertise applies an uncompromising approach to meeting targets. With our experience in hybrid vehicles developed with the Peugeot 908, the high-performance hybrid powertrain fitted to the 308 gives a glimpse of the potential for ultra-sports models in the future.”

The model features a 3 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery pack (located under the rear seats), as well as a 50-liter gas tank located able the electric motor.

The 308 R Hybrid features 4 different driving modes — a performance oriented “Hot Lap” mode (with access to all 3 power sources); a “Track” mode which delivers 400 horsepower and 391 lb-feet of torque (via the gas engine and the rear electric); a “Road” mode providing 300 horsepower and 295 lb-feet of torque (which relies mostly on the gas engine, while receiving some assistance from one of the electric motors); and, lastly, a ZEV mode that relies mostly on the rear electric motor.

This certainly looks like a nice plug-in hybrid from Peugeot at an initial glance, and it’s nice to see Peugeot finally getting into the game in a decent way. (I’m sure it had nothing to do with EU emissions/efficiency rules.)