Following their successful submission to the UK Government's Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge, QinetiQ, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Ricardo UK Ltd today revealed plans for their £3M project, codenamed EFFICIENT-C, to develop a C-segment passenger car capable of ultra-low CO2 emissions while delivering competitive standards of vehicle performance and refinement.
EFFICIENT-C will involve the development and demonstration of a highly efficient parallel hybrid powertrain system installed in a Citroën Berlingo Multispace passenger car. Development of this vehicle is expected to take 18 months and with the potential for delivery in future products available to customers. The first phase of the programme will comprise a feasibility study which will define the final vehicle architecture. Key technologies envisaged at this stage for in the EFFICIENT-C vehicle include:
- An efficient PSA Peugeot Citroën HDi common rail diesel engine, delivering peak performance of around 90 bhp while achieving Euro IV emissions levels with low-cost aftertreatment technology.
- A high output Direct Current (DC) electric motor-generator enabling stop/start operation of the diesel engine, torque assist, efficient electrical power generation, regenerative braking and all electric traction at low speed.
- An automated manual transmission (AMT) delivering high standards of refinement and driveability in a cost effective manner.
- An advanced energy storage system using NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) or Li-ION (Lithium-Ion) batteries, possibly combined with supercapacitors, to achieve the energy and power densities required for efficient operation of the vehicle.
- Advanced control and electronics architecture, enabling the many constituent technologies of the hybrid vehicle to operate at optimal efficiency.
The EFFICIENT-C vehicle is targeted to achieve CO2 emissions of 89.5g/km over the combined ECE + EUDC drive cycle (this equates to a well-to-wheels CO2 emissions level of 100g/km, using pump grade diesel fuel). Legislated exhaust emissions will be within Euro IV levels. Vehicle performance targets include a 0-100kph acceleration time of less than 13 seconds and a top speed in excess of 150kph.
The EFFICIENT-C team represents a unique mix of skills in the development of hybrid vehicle technology which will be used for the benefit of the project:
QINETIQ, Europe's largest science and technology solutions provider, will bring expertise in the areas of energy storage, power electronics, battery management and hybrid powertrain modelling. The company will also provide prototype energy storage and management hardware to support the demonstrator vehicle.
PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN will provide its expertise in vehicle architecture. It will deliver the base vehicle hardware and engineering support to the integration of hybrid technologies, including powertrain, energy storage and associated control systems. The company will also provide guidance to ensure production and cost feasibility and consumer acceptability.
RICARDO, the world leading independent automotive engineering consultancy, will contribute programme management and hybrid vehicle systems integration expertise. It will also provide powertrain and vehicle control/electronics development, demonstrator vehicle build and production cost-benefit analysis.
Note to editors:
The Ultra Low Carbon Challenge was launched by the UK Government on 29 April 2003 and invited proposals from individual companies and consortia to demonstrate the feasibility of a family sized ultra-low carbon car in the UK. The five winning proposals, which included the EFFICIENT-C project, were announced by Green Fuels Minister David Jamieson on 15 October 2003. |
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