Peugeot's RC HYmotion4

Yes, the French automaker unveiled at the prestigious 2008 Paris Mondial De L'Automobile, the four- door coupe hybrid concept that can run up to 52 miles per gallon.

This concept car is a far cry from Peugeot's more traditional and conservative models that simply did not do well with many of its European customers' tastes. Thus, with the RC HYmotion4, whose design is quite modern and sleek, the people at Peugeot is betting of a change in perception from its younger and sophisticated consumer base target.

So, will this concept car change the company's future?

It remains to be seen...

Here's what Carscoop has to say--

The innovative and rather sensual hybrid four-door coupe combines a rear-mounted, 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine (based on the same unit used in the Peugeot 207 RC and MINI Cooper) developing 218HP that powers the rear-wheels with a front-mounted 95HP electric motor that drives the front-wheels for an overall output of 313HP.

The electric motor is powered by lithium batteries which are recharged during both deceleration and braking. Unlike most other hybrid systems, the front and the rear power units in the Peugeot are not connected mechanically. Instead, the hybrid drivetrain is controlled automatically by electronics. According to the French automaker, the RC HYmotion4 can be driven either in electric or petrol engine mode only, or with both engines combined making possible a maximum output of 313HP.

Peugeot claims that the four-seater sedan can sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in a mere 4.4 sec, to 1,000m (0.62 miles) in 22.8 sec and on to a top speed of 295 km/h (183mph). And if that isn’t enough to warm you up, Peugeot says that the 4.716 meter long RC HYmotion4 consumes on average just 4.5 lt of fuel for every 100 km which translates to 52.3 mpg US.

General Motors' Electric Dreams

Amid the glamour and fanfare of its 100^th anniversary, General Motors unveiled the new Chevrolet Volt to the public at the GM Renaissance building in downtown Detroit. Although the look is a far cry from the futuristic concept that GM unveiled to the public in 2007, the electric powered Volt is being hailed as its “moon shot’ in the green and fuel- efficient automobile category.

Company executives proclaimed that it is the car of the future for the giant American car maker and its attempt to show the world that General Motors, a producer of monster vehicles and rugged gas- guzzlers is also capable of producing a compact and fuel efficient car.

Here’s what Robert Snell of the Detroit News has to say about the new car that will begin production in 2010 and will start showing up in various show rooms all over the United States by 2011--

The Volt will operate like a plug-in hybrid;

it will be rechargeable via a standard 110-volt outlet and able to travel up to 40 miles on electric power alone. The car also will have a gas engine that powers a generator to recharge the battery and keep the vehicle running when its lithium-ion battery pack runs low on power.

The vehicle could cost as much as $40,000 because of its expensive batteries, and Congress is considering tax breaks for plug-in vehicles that would defray the purchase cost of the Volt.

Now, whether they will remain a leader in this field in two years time remains to be seen.

I am sure that the Japanese carmakers will not back down on the challenge that their American counterpart has hurled on this side of Motown.

I’m sure Toyota and Honda are cooking up something and will come up with their own versions of the electric car in the near future.

Whatever the outcome, I am sure that the buying public will surely benefit from it. In the end, it will be good for us and the planet to be less dependent on the big oil.