HYBRID LE MANS // PEUGEOT 908 HY

Peugeot has just released news of what they are calling the 908 HY hybrid diesel. We are sure you are feeling the pinch in your pocket, you know, that stinging feeling when you go to fill up and the meter rolls over $100 and you wince as it nears another digit. But, unlike us simple motorists, we are sure high level Le Mans teams are not as worried with rising fuel costs as we are. What they are worried about is lap efficiency. Pit stops in ratio to laps run, fuel usage per lap, etc. With that being said, it was no surprise that Peugeot had this in the works. Capturing energy created be regenerative braking, storing it in lithiom-ion batteries and utilizing those batteries to power an additional 80bhp electric motor, doesn’t this all seem a bit like 2009’s KERS system... With driver operated ‘boost’ control, the 908 HY’s pilot can choose to add a little love whenever he (or she) chooses. Plans to debut the car are in the works, and 2009 looks like it will see not only Formula One working on kinetic energy recovery, but Le Mans teams as well. Well done // 09.17.2008