Peugeot 908 Hybrid 4 has track test at Estoril on 11 October

The Peugeot 908 Hybrid 4, which was unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March, made its first genuine on-track test at Estoril, Portugal on October 11, 2011.

“Our aim wasn’t to but a lot of kilometres on the clock, but to verify that all the chief functions performed,” reports Peugeot Sport’s Technical Director, Bruno Famin. “It was important to analyse the data of each run to be sure we understood the results before moving on to the next step. The system functioned well and responded as predicted, which was very satisfying. At the same time, we started to make a few adjustments to the car’s basic set-up. It worked well, so that’s very positive.”

Nicolas Minassian: “I had the good fortune to drive the original demonstration hybrid car in 2008 and I am proud to have been the first person to drive the 908 HYbrid4. It’s extremely interesting to work on a project of this scale which no doubt paves the way for the future of motor racing. As a driver, it’s very rewarding to be in a position where you can learn and play a part in the development of new technologies.”

Stéphane Sarrazin: “We were able to work through the complete test programme, so that was fantastic. It was interesting to work with the engineers to identify the ideal compromises and, of course, get acquainted with the system, since the project is only in its early days. You can feel the extra power and it will be up to us to harness or adapt it in the most competitive way possible. We will need to strike the right balance. We’re looking at a lot of things and exploring several avenues.”

“We spent 2010 designing the system ahead of an initial bench test at the beginning of 2011,” explains Bruno Famin. “We have a dyno that allows us to test the complete engine, gearbox and transmission assembly. This is particularly practical since it functions just as it does when fitted to the car. The hybrid system forms an integral part of the power train. This test work continued through 2011 up to the car’s first shakedown run in September and its first real track test a few days ago.”

“It will be interesting to see how the system performs at a different track,” notes Bruno Famin. “A new phase will also begin when we start to fine tune not only the system but also the handling of the car We have no intention of rushing things, however. We are still on a learning curve and the endurance testing will come later.”

http://www.supersport.com/motorsport/sports-cars/news/111017/Peugeot_hybrid_takes_to_the_track

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David Herron is a writer and software engineer living in Silicon Valley. He primarily writes about electric vehicles, clean energy systems, climate change, peak oil and related issues. When not writing he indulges in software projects and is sometimes employed as a software engineer. David has written for sites like PlugInCars and TorqueNews, and worked for companies like Sun Microsystems and Yahoo.