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ABC/Yahoo: Compressed Air hybrid prototype by Peugeot/Citroen

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by kgall, Jan 24, 2013.

  1. kgall

    kgall Active Member

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    ABC/Yahoo is reporting on a concept by Peugeot/Citroen of a hybrid car running on gasoline and compressed air. They claim it will be cheaper than gas/electric hybrids.

    Want a Car That Gets 117 mpg? - Yahoo! News
    From the article:
    When it's not running on gasoline, it uses … the air. There would be a sturdy tank of compressed air in the floor or trunk, recharged by the engine or the brakes.
    Peugeot Citroen, the French automaker, has now shown off a prototype for such a system and claims on its website (in French) that it could start selling air-hybrid cars in Europe by 2016. The company, according to Europeannews reports, says that on local streets, the cars would mostly run on compressed air, cutting gasoline use - and costs - by as much as 80 percent. The technology would start in existing subcompact models, the company said, but soon expand to include vehicles of all sizes.


    I have to admit this is a new one on me.
     
    #1 kgall, Jan 24, 2013
  2. jsfabb

    jsfabb Active Member

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    Take a look at the video:

    Peugeot promises fuel-saving Hybrid Air system in cars by 2016
     
    #2 jsfabb, Jan 24, 2013
  3. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    merged, already posted.
     
    #3 Paradox, Jan 24, 2013
  4. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    I always thought the old Citroen's were ahead of their time. Do they still have that air suspension, where you could change a flat tire by just sticking a big block or piece of wood under the car with the suspension pumped all the way up and then just let the air out?
     
    #4 paprius4030, Jan 24, 2013
  5. bedrock8x

    bedrock8x Senior Member

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    #5 bedrock8x, Jan 24, 2013
    telmo744 likes this.
  6. walter Lee

    walter Lee Hypermiling Padawan

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    The idea of using compressed gas has been around for along time - unfortunately as bedrock8x posted - its not very efficient energy storage system - even when the energy used to do the compression is free (e.g. solar powered gas compressor) This is because the energy density even at very high psi is low compared to other forms of energy-propulsion systems and the mass/weight of the pressurized tank tends to become a significant burden as the psi gets higher.
     
    #6 walter Lee, Jan 24, 2013
  7. telmo744

    telmo744 HSD fanatic

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    Hydraulic or pneumatic for this kind of services are very inneficient.
    What bothers me is that many car makers keep feeding public with this kind of tech marketing crap. :(
     
    #7 telmo744, Jan 25, 2013
  8. GSW

    GSW PRIUS POWER

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    So... your saying this is nothing but a lot of compressed air?:D
     
    #8 GSW, Jan 25, 2013
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