Peugeot’s 308 Hybride Concept: 78 mpg in the City!

Sooner or later someone had to do it. The combination of diesel and hybrid was inevitable given the attempt for automakers to one-up each other in making the cleanest and most efficient autos around. This time, the vehicle comes from France and takes the form of a near-production vehicle based on a compact car called the Peugeot 308.

Under the Hybride’s rather long and dominating nose is a simple 1.6-liter HDi diesel engine, just like you’d find in any number of entry-level 308 HDis, which gives the vehicle 110 horsepower. However, with the electrical motor and battery pack adding an additional 22 horsepower, the total jumps to 132 hp, which is just a couple of ponies off the pace of the larger 2.0-liter HDi engine. Because the electrical and fossil-fuel engine make their peak outputs at different engine speeds, the different engine speeds will see the delivery of more (or less) power from the electrical motor; its standalone peak is 31 horsepower and 96 lb-ft of torque. However, when you take into consideration that the hybridized diesel version reduces its CO2 emissions by some 38-percent over its non-hybrid, it really starts to make sense.

To ensure as little losses to drag as possible, the 308 has been fitted with new Michelin energy-saving tires, and a six-speed robotized manual gearbox (like in the smart fortwo) for better fuel economy. The 200-volt nickel metal battery pack that feeds the electrical engine has been stored in the spare tire well, and does not affect the car’s fuel economy.

Peugeot didn’t skimp out on the hybrid system of the 308 Hybride, giving the concept a full, proper unit, not just a mild assist. This means that the car can run on electricity alone, which benefits those who might drive in areas that are tolled (such as London’s congestion charge) as these sort of vehicles are pollution free when the diesel engine is off. Unlike most hybrids, the Hybride gives drivers the capability of switching certain functions of the hybrid’s system on and off, such as the idle-stop, or the ability to force the vehicle to run on electricity alone. The total CO2 emissions for the 308 Hybride are 5.1 oz/mi, and it has an average fuel consumption of 69 mpg, with a city-specific average of 78 mpg due to its ability to run on electricity alone. Like the Prius or any number of hybrids, the Peugeot features a color LCD screen with power-flow display to let drivers know which engines are running and what not.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about the Hybride is that it’s a car that is headed into production. Peugeot expects to have a car with this technology on the market by the end of the decade.