Hybrid Air Car

Peugeot to launch hybrid car that runs on air next year 

French car maker Peugeot is all set to sell the first air-powered hybrid car from next year. With new ‘Hybrid Air’ engine system – the first to combine petrol with compressed air – the firm says the car could reduce petrol bills by 80 percent when driven in cities. “Air power would be used solely for city driving, automatically activated below 43mph,” said Peugeot in a press release.

  

The system combines a gasoline engine with an air engine which is used at speeds under 70mph. This enables it to run on petrol or air, or a combination of both. According to the company, by 2020, the car could achieve an average of 117 miles a gallon.

The French automaker that the light B-segment car can achieve 97.3 mpg and emits just 69 grams of CO2 per kilometer. To compare, the most efficient non-Hybrid Air 208 – the 1.4 e-HDi – emits 87 g/km. The hybrid's drivetrain is electronically controlled and automatically selects the best power source for current driving conditions.

Peugeot recently showed off 208 Hybrid FE Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Originally supposed to get the equivalent of 111 mpg and emit only 49 g/km of CO2, Peugeot thinks it could actually achieve up to over 141 mpg since it will be built with lightweight materials. Not bad for a cute hatchback that can get up to to 62 mph in eight seconds

The new engine system is a breakthrough for hybrid cars because expensive batteries would no longer be needed. Cars fitted with Hybrid Air system would be cheaper to buy than current hybrid models. Drivers never run the risk of running out of compressed air because the car would have a sophisticated device that ensures it replenishes itself automatically, added Peugeot.

How Hybrid Car Work

An 82-hp 1.2-liter gasoline engine provides most of the power, driven through an epicyclic automatic transmission. During deceleration, the wheels' energy drives a hydraulic pump that pushes hydraulic fluid into an accumulator and compresses the nitrogen gas within. When the car needs to accelerate, the system works in the opposite way: The pressurized nitrogen gas pushes the hydraulic fluid, which drives a hydraulic motor connected to the transmission. 

Driving Modes:-

Gas only: Intended for highway driving

Air only: For speeds below 43 mph, where the engine stops and hydraulics power the wheels 80 percent of the time

Combined: Powered by the gas engine and hydraulic motor

Feasibility:-

Hydraulic systems are an established technology. The motors and pumps are simple, relatively low-cost, and easy to package—as are epicyclic gears—so the Hybrid Air could be lighter and cheaper than a gas–electric hybrid. And unlike chemical batteries, hydraulics have fewer recycling issues. 

Roadblocks:-

With no big battery to run the air conditioning at standstill, the engine would have to run, using gas; a crash-safe accumulator large enough to hold the requisite amount of pressure (up to 4351 psi) might be heavy enough to negate any benefit. With unproven reliability, hydraulic systems could find it difficult to gain consumer acceptance.