Car
that runs on air: New Peugeot hybrid doesn't need a battery and 'is greener
than its electric rivals'
·
The Peugeot 2008 Hybrid Air runs on nothing
more than air
·
Current 'green' vehicles combine electric
engines with traditional ones
·
The car has a conventional engine linked to
hydraulic air motor and pump
·
It can provide zero-emissions air power for
lower-speed driving in cities
·
The sports utility vehicle will available
from 2016 for around £16,000
For decades, car makers have been
searching for the perfect environmentally friendly fuel.
Now, one firm seems to have found
the answer – a car that can run on nothing more than air.
The Peugeot 2008 Hybrid Air
promises to be more ecologically sound than the current breed of ‘green’
vehicles that combine electric engines with traditional ones.
Scroll down for video
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Under the bonnet: This diagram
shows how the new hybrid car works. While the it is moving, air is pumped into
a cylinder using surplus energy from the petrol engine, plus energy from the
wheels and heat from the brakes
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Clean driving: The Peugeot 2008
Hybrid Air has a conventional petrol engine linked to a hydraulic air motor and
pump, allowing it to run on air, petrol, or a combination of the two -
depending on driving conditions
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Behind the wheel: A stripped-back
look at the new hybrid. Motorists will be able to use zero-emissions air power
for lower-speed driving. The feature is activated automatically when the car is
doing under 43mph
It has a
conventional petrol engine linked to a hydraulic air motor and pump.
While the car is moving, air is
pumped into a cylinder – just like a balloon being inflated – using surplus
energy from the petrol engine, plus energy from the wheels and heat from the
brakes.
The air is then released to drive
the hydraulic motor – allowing the car to run on air, petrol, or a combination
of the two.
More...
Motorists will be able to use
zero-emissions air power for lower-speed driving in cities. The feature
is activated automatically when the car is doing under 43mph.
When accelerating or climbing
hills, combined or ‘hybrid’ mode is preferable as the vehicle receives power
from both engines. And for long-distance cruising, traditional petrol power is
best.
Current hybrids – such as the
popular Toyota Prius – rely on heavy and expensive batteries that are difficult
to dispose of, causing their own environmental problems. They can also go flat
and leave the driver stranded.
In contrast, the new Peugeot will
need no batteries. Instead, it will replenish itself automatically by
re-using energy that is ‘lost’ when slowing down and braking.
Ray Massey gets exclusive
first drive in car that runs on air
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No battery required: This
prototype shows motorists makes up the environmentally friendly car. Current
hybrids rely on heavy and expensive batteries that are difficult to dispose of
- but the Peugeot doesn't need one
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A look inside: Ray Massey takes a
spin in the new hybrid, revealing what the car's interior currently looks like.
The sports utility vehicle will be available from 2016 for around £16,000
The sports utility vehicle,
available from 2016 for around £16,000, will be the first of a new generation
of Peugeots and Citroens running – in part at least – on air.
It currently manages around
94miles per gallon but engineers say that by 2020, future Peugeots and Citroens
could average 117mpg.
Around 100 elite scientists have
spent the past three years working on the air-powered car in top-secret
conditions at Peugeot’s research and development centre at Velizy, just south
of Paris.
A spokesman for manufacturer PSA
Peugeot-Citroen said: ‘We are not talking about weird and wacky machines. These
are going to be in everyday cars.’
1 comment:
A couple of questions:
- how many kw-h of electricity are required to compress the air in the tank
- how far can you drive at low speed on the compressed air only
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