At the final round of the 2008 Le Mans Series at Silverstone, this weekend, Peugeot revealed a new race car - the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP hybrid - equipped with a hybrid power plant and a kinetic energy recovery system. The recovered energy is stored in 600 lithium-ion cells divided into 10 battery packs.
Instead of the of the conventional starter motor the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP hybrid uses a 60 kW gear-driven electric motor-generator. The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP hybrid also features an electronic power converter which controls the power transfer between the batteries and the motor-generator.
The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP hybrid may run in three different ways: electric only, internal combustion only or a combination of the previous two.
The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP hybrid can deliver an extra 60 kW (80 bhp) for approximately 20 seconds per lap. This is done automatically when re-accelerating or when the driver chooses to make use of it ('push to pass').
The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP hybrid was presented in a silver-grey livery and previewed what Peugeot's next endurance racing challenger could resemble. The use of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP hybrid will depend on the regulations that will govern LMP 1 cars from 2009.
