PSA Peugeot Citroën - Innovation Strategy

Environmentally-friendly innovation

PSA Peugeot Citroën, Europe's leading manufacturer of low-consumption vehicles, is committed to developing environmentally-friendly vehicles and to using renewable energy sources and new types of engines. The Group has already made a range of concrete proposals and is pursuing numerous avenues of development for the future. Biofuels, natural gas, hybrids and fuel cells are all solutions that fit closely together in short- and long-term mobility solutions.
The Group is also innovating in the realm of road safety, one of its top priorities.

The Group's vehicles are the result of a unique design and development process, involving almost 18,000 engineers and specialists every day. Supported by an annual budget of almost €2.3 billion, the Group's R&D activity paves the way to the future by proposing ground-breaking concepts and broad, innovative ranges.

PSA Peugeot Citroën: Europe's leading manufacturer of low-consumption vehicles
PSA Peugeot Citroën leads the field in France in terms of CO² emissions with an average of 140 g/km for its entire vehicle sales in 2007 (source ADEME). In Europe, the Group has sold one million vehicles emitting less than 140g/km of CO², of which more than 750,000 emit less than 130 g/km and 500,000 emit less than 120 g/km.

Economic, high-performance engines

Modern diesels: the HDi

One of the actions taken by the Group to reduce greenhouse gas emissions consisted in entirely renewing its complete range of diesel engines. The extensive application of modern HDi Common Rail technology to the Peugeot and Citroën ranges has resulted in a 20% drop in CO² emissions compared with engines that use old-generation technology.
HDi technology is combined with the highly effective Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) which eliminates diesel particles once and for all and reduces particle emissions to barely measurable levels (0.004 g/km). With more than 2.2 million vehicles with DPF systems sold, PSA Peugeot Citroën leads the field in particulate filter technology.
The Group has already sold more than 10 million vehicles powered by the HDi engine.

Petrol engine development in cooperation with BMW

The recently released family of small, 1.6-l high-technology petrol engines, developed jointly with BMW and ranging from 75 to 170 hp (with variable valve control or direct injection and turbocharger), is available in the Peugeot 207. These engines have reduced CO² emissions by 10% in comparison with the engines they replace.
The long-term target is to sell 1 million engines per year.
PSA Peugeot Citroën leads the field in DPF technology with more than 2.2 million vehicles fitted with particulate filters sold. The DPF with additives invented by PSA Peugeot Citroën has already demonstrated its superior reliability and performance.
PSA Peugeot Citroën and the reduction of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Biofuels
Biofuels - biodiesel and ethanol - help to reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases. They are a partial and immediately available alternative to fossil hydrocarbons. PSA Peugeot Citroën has been encouraging the use of biofuels since March 1998. The Group's diesel cars can run on mixes containing up to 30% of biodiesel under all driving conditions, provided that the quality of the fuel is sufficient. The Group's petrol engines can run on mixes containing up to 10% of ethanol without making any changes. PSA Peugeot Citroën also has a strong command of "flex-fuel" technology, which enables an engine to run on blends of petrol and ethanol in any proportions. In Europe, the Group has released its first Euro4-compliant flex-fuel vehicles that can run on mixes containing up to 85% of ethanol (E85). In Brazil, 80% of the Group's ranges are sold with this type of engine.
PSA Peugeot Citroën and biofuels

Stop & Start and Hybrids

Another target is to market 1 million petrol and diesel vehicles fitted with Stop & Start systems by 2011. This system is already available for Citroën C2 and C3. Stop & Start technology reduces fuel consumption by between 8 and 15% in city driving, depending on the density of the traffic.
The Group is also looking into hybrid technology, which combines internal combustion engines with electric drive solutions. The Group is pursuing its research into reducing CO² emissions, in particular with its hybrid HDi diesel, which is being tested on Peugeot 308 and Citroën C4 prototypes. The Group plans to reveal its first HDi hybrids by 2010. These vehicles represent a significant step forwards in both technical and environmental terms. They reduce fuel consumption and CO² emissions by almost 30% in comparison with an equivalent diesel vehicle. The Group's ecological policy has always consisted in offering technologies and vehicles that are accessible to the greatest number in order to produce a real environmental impact. PSA Peugeot Citroën is going even further with the Citroën C-Cactus concept car. This ecological vehicle features a hybrid diesel drivetrain that combines a 70 hp HDi diesel internal combustion engine with a particulate filter with an electric motor generating an additional 30 hp. C-Cactus consumes 2.9 l/100 km and emits 78 g/km of CO² over a combined cycle. PSA Peugeot Citroën is currently focussing on reducing the cost price of this technology.

Fuel cells

In the longer term, the use of hydrogen in fuel cells appears to be one of the most credible solutions, thanks to the system's exceptionally high yield and the absence of any pollutant emissions at the point of use. In 2006, PSA Peugeot Citroën and the French atomic energy authority presented Genepac, a joint fuel cell project, which is the most powerful and compact fuel cell ever developed in France.

Safer vehicles

Road safety is PSA Peugeot Citroën's top priority. 13 Peugeot and Citroën vehicles have scored a maximum 5-star rating in the EuroNCAP tests for the protection of vehicle occupants. The Citroën C6 is the only car tested by EuroNCAP to have reached the top score of 4 stars for pedestrian protection.
PSA Peugeot Citroën, Europe's leading carmaker in the field of automotive telematic services, develops and regularly deploys new service projects, designed in particular to make driving easier. The Group's innovative emergency call system makes it easier for the emergency services to intervene in the event of an accident. PSA Peugeot Citroën is the only manufacturer that has deployed this system in 450,000 vehicles in nine European countries.
More about PSA Peugeot Citroën and telematics

Brand environmental labels
In 2007, the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group's two brands each launched their own eco-labels: "Blue Lion" for Peugeot and "AirDream" for Citroën.
The labels are awarded to the Group's most environmentally-friendly vehicles. In order to lay claim to the label, models must meet the three following criteria:
- CO² emissions less than or equal to 130g/km for vehicles using fossil fuels (or Stop & Start, or CNG); - production in an ISO 14001 certified plant;
- 95% recyclability.

These labels are indicative of Peugeot's and Citroën's determination to develop useful technologies that reduce pollutant emissions and protect the quality of the air.
More about Blue Lion
More about AirDream