Diesel-Electric Peugeot 908 HYbrid4 Set for 2012 Le Mans Debut

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the oldest motorsports endurance race, a proving ground for performance and, surprisingly, fuel efficiency. Peugeot’s 908 diesel-electric hybrid racer, unveiled in Geneva, is set to debut at the 2012 Le Mans race.

For 2012, Peugeot will enter a new version of its 908 racer, called the 908 HYbrid 4, which will feature the same 550 horsepower diesel 3.7 liter V8 engine now mated to a 80 horsepower electric motor. This electric motor will provide an extra “burst” of power at the push of a button, not unlike Porsche’s own 911 GT3 KERS racer. The energy recovery system will store power from the brakes in a lithium-ion battery. While it may not seem like it, the technology that goes into these hybrid racers has a direct effect on the showroom product, which can be seen in Peugeot’s own 3008 HYbrid4, the world’s first diesel-electric production car. Racing technology directly influences that cars us regular consumers buy, so before you dismiss this as some sort of “greenwashing,” remember that technologies like fuel injection, anti-lock brakes, and all-wheel drive were often found on race cars before they made it to production cars.

Source: Gas 2.0