Peugeot has used the last race of the 2008 Le Mans series at Silverstone as a platform to introduce the world to its new LMP1 car for 2009, the 908HDi FAP Hybrid. The new endurance racecar will feature a gasoline-electric hybrid power plant that will allow the car to act like a Prius on steroids. Whether the new drivetrain will be allowed to compete has not been determined yet.
Like a street-going hybrid, the 908HDi FAP will use an electric motor mated to its gasoline engine to move the car on electricity alone at low speeds and provide extra power at high speeds. The car will also feature regenerative braking, allowing the electric motor-generator to recapture some of the car's braking energy and store it in 10 lithium-ion battery packs. The recaptured energy can then be used to provide an extra 80 hp for approximately 20 sec per lap, or can be saved and used all at once when the driver uses the "push to pass" button. Peugeot figures the car will be able to apply regenerative braking for a good 20 to 30 sec per lap, and if not used for extra acceleration, the power also can be used simply to supplement the gasoline engine and reduce fuel economy by three to five percent compared with a standard gasoline race car, giving Peugeot a significant advantage in an endurance race.
"This hybrid 908 HDi FAP is in perfect keeping with the overall mission of our endurance racing program which covers not only the challenge of competing, of course, but also the fact that as a car manufacturer we can use motor sport as a research and development tool for the Peugeot brand as a whole," says Michel Barge, director of Peugeot Sport. "After innovating through the use of our HDi FAP technology in competition, running a hybrid car in endurance racing would give Peugeot a chance to gain valuable experience that would benefit the development of production cars. Whether we use this technology or not in 2009 will obviously depend on the details of the new regulations published by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest."
Whether the Le Mans series will allow the hybrid drivetrain remains to be seen, but given that they allowed Audi to run a diesel engine (which has been dominating the circuit), there's a good chance the hybrid will be allowed to run. If so, and if it's dependable, the extra juice could give Peugeot a significant advantage, if not from the extra acceleration then from the reduced fuel consumption -- and reduced time spent in the pits refueling.
Source: Peugeot
