Peugeot 307 CC Hybride HDi Concept review:

The ideal way to drive, combining emotion and protection of the environment

The 307 CC HybrideHDi illustrates in the most attractive way Peugeot?s commitment to the protection of the environment through reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Associating HDi FAP Diesel engine technology with that of a hybrid power train, this technological demonstrator is effectively a new step on the path to ultra-low fuel consumption. In addition to a hybrid engine, the 307 CC adds something of the hybrid in architectural terms, enabling an elegant coup? to be transformed into a genuine convertible in a matter of seconds.

With the 307 CC HybrideHDi, Peugeot continues to lead the way in the fi eld of coup? cabriolets.
After the legendary 206 CC which popularised this type of body design, the 307 CC broke new ground by being the fi rst CC equipped with a HDi FAP diesel engine.

The 307 CC HDi FAP offers ? open air ? driving, thanks to the driving pleasure of a convertible and environmental protection made possible by HDi FAP technology.

By developing even further its mastery of the ? clean diesel ? with the HDi hybrid technology available on this 307 CC, Peugeot takes another step forward in its desire to offer cars that are both attractive and environmentally friendly.

The hybrid diesel engine, based on equivalent performance, heralds a genuine new benchmark in terms of fuel consumption, since it combines the exceptional effi ciency of a smaller capacity HDi engine, operating in its optimal operating range, with that of an electric motor designed mainly for use in town.

Its mixed-cycle fuel consumption of 4.1 l /100 km means a gain of 30 % compared to a standard 2.0 litre HDi FAP version.

Driving pleasure, a fundamental concern of the Marque, has not been compromised. In addition to the all-electric operating mode for use in town at low speed, which provides a high level of noise and vibration insulation, this hybrid HDi power train offers substantially improved acceleration compared to a traditional vehicle of equivalent power.

The driver benefi ts on an ad hoc basis from the additional power from the electric motor of up to 31 kW.

For example, equipped with an 80 kW HDi FAP 1.6 litre engine (around 110 bhp), the performance of the coup? cabriolet is roughly the same as the standard 2.0 litre HDi FAP production version (around 136 bhp).

This makes the 307 CC HybrideHDi an attractive, concrete example of the Marque?s technological know-how: - in the fi eld of hi-tech diesel engines and that of electric vehicles. - but also in its ability to innovate, by presenting the fi rst coup? cabriolet with hybrid technology without adversely affecting the car?s features (style, capacity, boot, etc).

Hybrid diesel technology:

Replacing a petrol engine with an equivalent diesel engine allows a 25 % reduction in fuel consumption and a cut of roughly the same percentage in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Lacking economic competitiveness, petrol hybrid technology cannot bridge the signifi cant gap opened up by the HDi diesel engine.

However, the combination of a hybrid power train and a HDi engine signals a real breakthrough in terms of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The gain, compared to a similar vehicle equipped with a hybrid petrol power train, is around 25 %.

The preferred choice was a parallel hybrid power train, in which the thermal engine is used mainly to move the vehicle.

Combined with a transmission that functions in the traditional way, and an electric motor powered by energy stored in batteries. Kinetic energy recovered during the vehicle?s deceleration and braking phases allows the batteries to be recharged. Phases of driving in electric mode are suitable mainly in cases where the thermal engine is least effi cient, i.e. essentially low-load situations.

Description of the power train

The thermal engine is a 1.6 litre HDi FAP (DV6TED4) with a power of 80 kW (approx. 110 bhp), combined for the fi rst time with the Stop & Start system (STT) (2.5 kW). The STT function ensures the standby status ? possible as soon as the speed is below 60 km/h ? and restarting of the engine.

The electric motor is a synchronous with permanent magnets type and is located between the thermal engine and the gearbox. It develops a continuous power of 22 kW and a torque of 110 Nm, but its capacity can be increased on an ad hoc basis to 31 kW and 180 Nm. Combined with the inverter, it operates in a voltage range of between 210 and 380 volts. inverter

The inverter controls the torque of the electric motor by regulating the current from the batteries.

The battery pack, located in place of the spare wheel, without any alteration of the boot pack volume, consists of 240 Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) cells.

The electronically managed manual gearbox benefi ts from the effi ciency of a manual gearbox and offers the degree of automated control needed to control the hybrid power train. It eliminates the need for a clutch pedal and offers two driving modes, one entirely automatic and one with sequential gear changes.

Controlled regenerative braking, during deceleration and braking phases, allows braking the batteries to be recharged.

Operating principle

The Power Train Management Unit (PTMU) controls the three main modes of operation of the thermal engine and the electric motor, helping to ensure low fuel consumption. The electric motor operates on its own at low speed and when decelerating; the thermal engine operates on its own at constant speed on the open road and on motorways. In the event of hard acceleration, both units operate in tandem. Intelligent control of braking manages the distribution between electric braking (recuperative) and hydraulic braking (dissipative) by ensuring, at all times, fi rstly safety, and secondly the recovery of energy.

A modified RT3 multifunction colour display informs the driver in real time of the operating mode of the hybrid power train. Flows of mechanical or electrical energy between the two units, the battery pack and the wheels are therefore clearly illustrated. Other information is also available, such as the battery charge status or the power requirement formulated by the thermal engine and the electric motor.

All-electric mode: the choice of ? ZVE ? driving (Zero Vehicle Emissions). A special button provides access to an extensive all-electric mode. Activation of the thermal engine is then programmed to coincide with more sustained phases of acceleration. The vehicle then becomes the city run-around par excellence thanks to the total absence of noise and emissions. End of Peugeot 307 CC Hybride HDi Concept review.