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Citroen unveils hybrid rally car

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Hybrid, Performance, Green, Hatchback, Citroën

Click above for more shots of the Citroen C4 WRC HYmotion4 hybrid rally car

One of Citroen's big debuts at the Paris Motor Show was its HYmotion4 hybrid technology, which was fitted to the Citroën Hypnos and C4 WRC along with the Peugeot RC and Prologue. Unlike most hybrid systems, the French technology has no direct connection between the car's engine and battery, so the pack is recharged "through the road" when the car's regenerative braking is applied. There's a 125-kW electric motor attached to the rear axle that gets its power from 990 individual lithium ion cells wired up to produce 400-volts. The C4 WRC's driver can select from a number of modes to allow a specific amount of electric assistance, including running solely on the electric motor or using it as a short-term boost for added acceleration. This way, the car can be run in zero-emission mode or at full power, depending on the situation. Although no production machines have been announced with this new technology, the fact that the automaker has created four separate concepts with it shows that it is serious about its production possibilities.

Gallery: Citroen C4 WRC HYmotion4

[Sources: Citroen, World Rally Championship]

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Citroen unveils hybrid rally car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2008: Citroen Hypnos concept

Noah Joseph — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Europe, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Citroën

Click either image for a high-res gallery of the Citroen Hypnos concept

Someone over at Citroen has been hitting the absinthe. Well, why not, because Citroen is celebrating its birthday and had the semi-annual Paris auto salon in town to coincide. We'd say they should have stuck with the champagne, but we kinda like this car. Called the Hypnos, it's all business on the outside, and all trippy on the inside.

The exterior looks something like a darker, more versatile version of the GT concept developed by the same company. The interior is something else altogether, and is likely to seem familiar only to those who have gone diving in coral reefs or spent some time in Amsterdam. (If anyone's asking, we fall into the former.) Power is provided by the the HYmotion4 hybrid diesel powertrain PSA rolled out on several show cars, including sister-company Peugeot's Prologue and RC HYmotion4 concepts, which gives the Hypnos green credentials to go with the hippie-inspired design theme. Of course, this falls squarely in the design study category of concept cars (as opposed to the production preview sort), but if this is an indication of where Citroen is headed, overseas customers could be in for a wild ride. Follow the jump for the press release and check out the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Paris 2008: Citroen Hypnos concept

Continue reading Paris 2008: Citroen Hypnos concept

Paris 2008: Citroen Hypnos concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2008: Peugeot Prologue HYmotion4 diesel hybrid concept

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Green, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Peugeot

Click above for high-res gallery of the Peugeot Prologue HYmotion4

Peugeot has been showing diesel hybrid concepts at auto shows for the past several years, and the latest is the new Prologue HYmotion4. Unlike the previous versions that were based on the 307 and 308 C-segment hatchbacks, the Prologue is an all-new vehicle. Also unlike the previous concepts that used a hybrid system where the engine and electric motor ran in parallel on the same axle, this one uses the company's new HYmotion4 system like the RC concept we showed you earlier today. And unlike the four-door coupe RC, the crossover-bodied Prologue flips the powertrain arrangement front to back. The CUV has a 163-hp 2.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel twisting the front wheels while a 27 kW motor sends torque to the rear axle. The combined output when both the diesel and motor are running is 200 hp with 221 lb-ft going to the front wheels and 148 lb-ft to the back. Like the RC concept, front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive modes are available. Since rear-drive is electric only and the motor output only 27 kW, that mode is only available up to 30 mph. The diesel engine up front sends power through an automated 6-speed manual gearbox that allows for manual shifting. Peugeot also claims the electric motor is activated during shifts to provide uninterrupted power flow and smoother operation. Whereas the RC concept uses lithium-ion batteries, the Prologue uses a cheaper nickel-metal hydride battery pack sitting under the rear seat. Altogether, the Prologue is claimed to achieve 57.4 mpg (U.S.) with carbon dioxide output of 109 g/km.

Gallery: 2008 Paris: Peugeot Prologue HYmotion4 diesel hybrid concept

[Source: Peugeot]

Paris 2008: Peugeot Prologue HYmotion4 diesel hybrid concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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