Hybrid Air, a new type of an hybrid gasoline system [Video]

While most carmakers use hybrid systems with batteries, the PSA Peugeot Citroen Group intends to follow another path, using an all-new technology combining petrol internal combustion engine and compressed air storage, "Hybrid Air".

This new technology is an important step to achieve a consumption of 2l/100km, and is expected to be fitted on B-segment models starting in 2016. On a normal car, like the Citroën C3 or Peugeot 208, fuel consumption should be of 2.9l/100km and will emit only 69g CO2/km.

The system has three modes of operation, Air, Gasoline, Combined, and is expected to be fitted on B-segment models starting in 2016. See the images and video below to have a better understanding of how the system works.

Read More

PSA VéLV concept will be the Twizy rival [Video]

This is a compact, lightweight electric vehicle, with only 2.81m long, it has 3 seats, weighs under 700kg and is considered to be a tricycle because when the car has 2 rear wheels on a track with less than 460mm it is considered as a single-wheel axle.

Power comes from a 20kW (DC)/30kW motor with an 8.5kWh electric battery for a range of 100km. The car is made of an integral one-piece body made of fiberglass and polyester resin, ABS PMMA self-coloured thermoformed body panels, with a front end and door frames made of aluminum profiles.

While the Twizy is not the huge success many expected it to be, the PSA Group also wants to enter this segment that is classified as being the solution for travels in the cities, and i quote "An electric vehicle project to change the way we travel in and around cities".

Read More

Le Monde says Peugeot-Citroen will buy Opel, GM denies it

The French newspaper, Le Monde, claims that the French government was planning the movements necessary to buy Opel. This idea is not entirely unreasonable, GM wants to get rid of Opel, which only gives prejudice. and PSA would have access to new technical skills and their "German" position in market share.

If this happens it will be the inevitable the closure of some factories and the dismissal of many workers, if Opel wants to be profitable. But GM already said this won't happen, and that this is "pure speculation with no basis in reality".

The reality is that GM and PSA Group maintain a connection for almost a year and the French government wants to protect French workers, so we will have to wait for new chapters in this novel.

Source: autoblog.es

Read More

GM and PSA don't like each other anymore

General Motors and PSA are no longer in talks for a possible tie-up between Peugeot and Opel for an operational partnership. Several people with direct knowledge of those discussions have said the negotiations stopped because of the French carmaker's worsening finances and government-backed bailout.

For now it seems that there won't be an agreement before 2014 and that isn't even sure because of the bailout conditions that rule out French job cuts, meaning all the cuts would have to be done in the German side (Opel).

Both companies are in big trouble with Peugeot losing 160 million euros (200 million dolars) a month and having to cut around 10.000 jobs, and Opel isn't better with predictions of losing over 1.2 billion euros (1.5 billion dollars) this year in Europe and wants to close an Opel factory in Bochum, Germany.

Source: Reuters

Read More