PSA to Produce Air-Powered Hybrid Powertrain

PSA Peugeot Citroen says it intends to being building small piston-powered cars equipped with an auxiliary unit that enables them to run for short distances on compressed air.

The company expects to will begin producing B-segment vehicles with the front-wheel-drive system, dubbed Hybrid Air, in 2016.

The powertrain combines a three-cylinder gasoline engine, automatic transmission fitted with a special epicyclic gear set, a hydraulic motor and separate hydraulic pump. There are two storage tanks: a low-pressure tank between the rear wheels and a larger tank that runs longitudinally down the centerline of the vehicle.

PSA says the system can be easily adaptable to B-segment (82 hp) and C-segment (110 hp) and light commercial vehicles worldwide and, unlike plug-in systems, requires no infrastructure support.

A Hybrid Air-equipped vehicle uses its piston engine for highway travel, an air-powered motor in the city and a combination of the two during high power demand situations. The system's compressed air supply is replenished during braking and when the piston engine is operating at peak efficiency.

PSA says a Hybrid Air prototype subcompact car emitted only 72 g/km of carbon dioxide on the European test cycle compared with 104 g/km for a comparable vehicle using piston power alone.

PSA notes that the Hybrid Air system weighs only about 100 kg (220 lbs), making it considerably lighter than an electric hybrid configuration. The technology costs about half as much as an electric hybrid per gram of CO₂ saved, according to the company.