News Round Up: The Citroen C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L Concept achieves fuel economy of over 141mpg thanks to lighter weight, improved aerodynamics and PureTech 82 engine with Hybrid Air technology.
This level of fuel economy is achieved using:
The C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L project was undertaken as part of the “2l/100 km vehicle” programme set up by the Plateforme de la Filière Automobile industry group in France. The objective is to reduce the impact of vehicle running costs on household expenditure and to reduce the eco-footprint of car travel.
The Citroën C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L Concept
1. A body optimised for aerodynamic performance
On the C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L, some styling features have been modified and others created in order to optimise vehicle aerodynamics.
Variable-geometry components:
Fixed-geometry components:
2. Innovative materials for lighter weight
The production C4 Cactus is already 200kg lighter than the Citroën C4 hatchback, yet the C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept shaves off a further 100kg. This means Citroën’s designers have reduced the weight of the concept by 11% compared with the production vehicle.
To achieve this, the brand has reduced the weight of many structural components, with the body sub-structure featuring new materials:
Citroën also decided to use:
Hybrid Air technology for breakthrough fuel consumption
With the brand’s latest-generation Euro 6 engines, the production C4 Cactus already ranks among the best in its segment with CO2 emissions from 82g/km and fuel consumption starting at just 91.1mpg.
The C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept goes even further by adopting the Hybrid Air drivetrain. Presented by the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group in January 2013, and featured on a Citroën C3 at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, this technology combines a range of proven sub-systems and technologies. This includes a 3-cylinder PureTech petrol engine, a compressed air energy storage unit, a hydraulic pump/motor unit and an automatic transmission with an epicyclic gear train. An intelligent electronic management system manages input from the driver to optimise energy efficiency.
Three operating modes are available:
On the C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept, the two compressed air storage tanks are made of composite materials and are positioned at the rear of the vehicle.
The PureTech 82 engine, already available on the production model, has been optimised for this new hybrid drivetrain. Friction losses, which account for 20% of the power consumed by the engine, have been reduced in several ways. This includes using a Diamond-like carbon coating, making moving parts lighter and using bearings to guide rotating parts. Further improvements were made by adopting new polymer pads and using very low viscosity oil. Combined with efforts to optimise combustion, overall engine efficiency has been improved by 5%.
Combining the PureTech 82 engine with Hybrid Air technology for this concept reduces fuel consumption by 30% and contributes significantly to achieving a vehicle capable of 2l/100 km, while approaching the PureTech 110 in terms of dynamic performance.
C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept, just 2l/100 km
All these advanced technologies together deliver consumption of 2l/100 km. It could therefore be possible, in the medium term, for a production vehicle such as C4 Cactus to reach this target.