First look at the Peugeot 208 hybrid

Peugeot 208 Hybrid

It seems, for the time being at least, that car manufacturers are putting all of their efforts in to hybrid technology and electric cars. You see, cylinder deactivation, DPF filters and clever technology can only do so much – these are a short term solutions to a BIG problem: we’re running out of fossil fuels.

As such, you have a right to be concerned. Thankfully, car manufacturers are moving fast, and investing a lot of money into ensuring that their future is green and environmentally friendly.

Peugeot, for example, are likely to launch their 208 FE concept in late 2014 or early 2015. FE stands for ‘fuel efficiency’ and also ‘fun and efficient’, and Peugeot is attempting to create a hybrid car that people actually want to drive. Peugeot says that the finished product will dip under the 8 second mark from 0 – 62 mph, which is faster than a Suzuki Swift Sport.

The concept car has a 1.2-litre petrol engine that’s not dissimilar to the current 1.2 petrol engine in Peugeot’s line up. The only difference is that it makes use of better engineered components to reduce friction, and therefore, produces less heat. This engine will be paired with an electric motor, which will create the hybrid system.

Peugeot reckons that the result will be a car that is perfectly capable of achieving 140+mpg. If that were proved to be the case, we’d be mightily impressed and we aren’t the only ones, either.  We think that the Peugeot 208 FE concept marks the future for Peugeot, offering an exciting glimpse towards what we can expect.

Peugeot is said to have worked hard on the battery technology that’ll be used by the 208 FE – apparently, the battery set up with be very light weight, and the 19-inch alloy wheels will also be designed to be as aerodynamically as possible. They are also said to weigh the same as standard 15-inch rims.

The FE concept is strange in that Peugeot neglected to include wing mirrors on the car, because this ‘reduces efficiency’. It also reduces safety and it wouldn’t go on sale without them, so it’s strange to see Peugeots reasoning. Perhaps they ran out of pencil?

For now, the 208 FE is just a concept. But, it’s not farfetched to think that this car could reach production within the next 12 – 18 months – Peugeot don’t have any good hybrid vehicles out at the moment, and the competition – namely Japanese competitors – are leapfrogging them. Even European competitors, such as BMW, have all electric cars out now such as the fabulous (if ugly) BMW i3.