| PSA Peugeot-Citroën’s innovation chief Robert Peugeot says that customers would not be willing to pay a premium of €4,000 to have a vehicle that incorporates the technology and performance of the Efficient-C car.
Speaking at the vehicle launch, Peugeot said the problem with the car, which he termed a “breakthrough”, remained its affordability. “There could be a business case for the car if we could bring back the increased cost to around €2,000 in comparison with the HDi comparable vehicle,” he said.
Peugeot estimated that it might take a further five years of research to reach this price point.
PSA would invest in research into fuel-cells in a new programme, but Peugeot said that the group believed diesel-hybrids were the only viable short-term solution that could bring significant gains on fuel consumption and emissions.
Peugeot also said that present PSA diesel engines can take up to 30 per cent biofuels without affecting performance. The group’s gasoline engines can take up to 10 per cent bioethanol. “Our present engines can swallow more biofuels than Europe can produce,” he claimed.
The group has announced this month that it will put a 2.2-litre HDi engine into the Peugeot 407. This will be the first production engine to feature twin turbochargers on a four-cylinder diesel.
Diesel hybrid demonstrator takes CO2 below 100g/km
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