Peugeot's first production hybrid is finally coming to market next spring, but we already know most of the technical details. The 3008 Hybrid4 is the first light-duty diesel hybrid to come to market and also the first through-the-road hybrid. The midsize crossover uses a system that consists of a fairly conventional 163-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-four diesel engine driving the front wheels and a 37-horsepower electric motor at the rear axle that operates completely independently of the internal combustion drivetrain.
The diesel drives through an electronically controlled and mechanized six-speed manual gearbox that can either be shifted manually or left in full automatic mode. A more powerful eight-kilowatt high-voltage integrated starter-generator on the engine provides automatic start-stop capability as well as the ability to charge the nickel metal hydride battery from the engine.
When the battery has sufficient charge, the electric motor alone can propel the 3008 at lower speeds or provide on-demand all-wheel drive. The rear-mounted motor also provides regenerative braking to charge the battery. The combined output of the two powerplants comes in at 200 hp and 369 pound-feet of torque. The mechanically simpler (compared to most parallel hybrids) system allows Peugeot to produce a less expensive diesel hybrid than would be possible with a power-split system like the one used by Toyota, all while taking advantage of the highway cruising efficiency of compression ignition. The 3008 Hybrid4 is rated at 61.9 miles per gallon (U.S.) on the EU combined driving cycle with CO2 emissions of just 99 grams per kilometer. Eventually, Peugeot will also add a plug-in version of Hybrid4 with a lithium-ion battery.
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