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NEWS
GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Citroen C3 Hybrid Air
Twin-chevron brand set to showcase its latest take on a drivetrain that combines petrol propulsion with air-pressured hydraulic powerCitroen will front up to the Geneva motor show with a C3 prototype equipped with clever Hybrid Air technology that’s claimed to deliver fuel consumption lower than 3L/100km, along with low CO2 emissions.
Apart from its miserly thirst, Citroen claims the new powertrain also offers improved driveability and is relatively cost-efficient to manufacture.
The full-hybrid solution combines a petrol engine, compressed air and hydraulic power to reduce fuel consumption by a claimed 45 per cent compared with a vehicle fitted solely with the same internal combustion engine.
Developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen in cooperation with the Bosch, the pioneering technology is said to draw inspiration from the 1955 Citroen DS, which combined pressurised air with high-pressure hydraulics to control and manage the suspension, steering, braking and semi-automatic gearbox.
Citroen also rolled out a 2CV hybrid concept in 1958 that used pressurised air and hydraulics to boost the combustion engine, but a business case didn’t exist at the time, so the project was quietly shelved.
Put simply, the new Hybrid Air system combines a PureTech petrol engine, a compressed air energy storage unit, a hydraulic pump/motor unit and an automatic transmission with an epicyclic gear train.
Depending on the driver’s inputs, the electronic management system results in the car operating in one of three modes:
Air Mode – The energy stored (compressed air) is transmitted to the wheels via the hydraulic motor and gearbox for inner-city commuting. The compressed air unit is recharged when decelerating.
Petrol Mode – Transmits energy to the wheels without input from the compressed air unit at freeway speeds. Again, the energy from deceleration and braking is recovered for use when in Air Mode or for the boost function in Combined Mode.
Combined Mode – The combustion engine and hydraulic motor work together under heavy acceleration to eke out a total output of up to 90kW, delivering performance that Citroen claims is “comparable to that of an engine from the next market segment”.
Citroen argues the fact the system uses no additional batteries makes it a cost-effective solution, and the company also boasts of a “constant level of efficiency, regardless of weather or driving conditions”.
The technology is claimed to be easily adaptable for both passenger cars and LCVs, and is said to be particularly efficient on B & C segment models.
The system also has no impact on interior space or boot capacity and is essentially mechanical, which simplifies servicing operations and end-of-life recycling, claims Citroen.
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Written byGautam Sharma
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