Ricardo, QinetiQ and PSA Peugeot Citroen's Efficient-C Research Project Delivers Ultra-low Carbon Emission Powertrain

VAN BUREN TWP., Mich., June 2 -- Ricardo, QinetiQ and PSA Peugeot Citroen today presented the results of their Efficient-C collaborative research project which has successfully met the UK Department for Transport's Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge. The two year Efficient-C program has culminated in the delivery of a full-hybrid diesel demonstrator vehicle emitting just 99 g/km CO2 (equivalent to 3.75 liters per 100km or over 75mpg) based on a fully featured Citroen Berlingo Multispace family car.

This is a significant leap forward of 30 percent improvement in fuel economy and CO2 emissions when compared to the equivalent diesel production vehicle. Furthermore the same diesel hybrid powertrain fitted in a C-segment five door sedan would only emit 90g tank-to-wheel CO2.

The five door Euro IV compliant Efficient-C demonstrator meets all the expected performance, comfort and safety levels for today's market and comprises the following integrated technologies:

  *  A highly fuel-efficient PSA Peugeot Citroen 1.6 liter HDi, turbo-
     charged and inter-cooled common rail diesel engine.
  *  A compact 23kW 288V DC electric motor mounted between the engine and
     the transmission, providing up to 130Nm electrical torque assist,
     efficient electrical power generation, regenerative braking and full
     electric vehicle (zero emissions) operation at low speed.
  *  A 5-speed automated manual transmission delivering cost-effective
     automatic functionality.
  *  An advanced 288 volt Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery pack and battery
     management system to monitor state-of-charge, cell temperature and cell
     voltage balance.
  *  Supporting systems including a low-temperature cooling circuit to
     protect the electric motor and power electronics, an electro-hydraulic
     power assisted steering system, electrically powered air conditioning
     and a touch-screen driver display.
  *  Advanced supervisory control system based on the Ricardo rCube
     prototype controller to coordinate the many vehicle systems to meet
     driver demands whilst optimising fuel economy.

Dave Greenwood, Ricardo chief engineer and Efficient-C project leader, commented: "The Efficient-C project has highlighted a range of future technologies which are capable of delivering ultra-low CO2 without compromising vehicle function and performance. The project team is proud to have successfully met the UK Government's Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge."

Alain Klein, director of Hybrid Vehicles Development, at PSA Peugeot Citroen, said: "We are delighted with the results from this research project which demonstrates the potential for a step change in CO2 emissions reduction with a diesel parallel hybrid. The challenge now is for the motor industry and its suppliers to achieve the cost reductions required for the mass production of diesel hybrids to be considered."

With its North American headquarters in Van Buren Twp., Mich., Ricardo has been a world-leading vehicle system and powertrain technology provider for automotive manufacturers, heavy-duty manufacturers and tier one suppliers since 1915.

Ricardo is the premium global deep-content engineering and management consulting partner for automotive, commercial vehicle and related industry sectors. The company provides complete engineering services from strategy through product concept, design release and validation, and all phases of the product lifecycle. Ricardo technical expertise lies in powertrain and driveline, vehicle engineering, hybrid and fuel cell technologies, controls and electronics, niche volume manufacturing and advanced simulation software.

Ricardo is committed to excellence and industry leadership in people, technology and knowledge. A public company based in the U.K., Ricardo plc posted sales of $272 million in fiscal year 2005 and is a part of the FTSE techMark 100 index -- a group of innovative technology companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit http://www.ricardo.com/ .

The Ultra Low Carbon Challenge - This initiative was launched by the UK Government on April 29, 2003 and invited proposals from individual companies and consortia to demonstrate the feasibility of a family sized ultra-low carbon car in the UK. The five winning proposals, which included the Efficient-C project, were announced on October 15, 2003.

Roles of the project partners in Efficient-C

RICARDO was the project leader and contributed program management and hybrid vehicle systems integration expertise. It also provided powertrain and vehicle control/electronics development, demonstrator vehicle build and production cost-benefit analysis.

PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN provided expertise in vehicle architecture. It delivered the base vehicle hardware, hybrid powertrain components and engineering support to the integration of hybrid technologies, including powertrain, energy storage and associated control systems.

QINETIQ contributed expertise in the areas of energy storage, battery management and high voltage wiring systems. The company also provided prototype energy storage and management hardware to support the demonstrator vehicle.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Electronic images of the Efficient-C demonstrator vehicle are available by contacting Jessica Killenberg (jkillenberg@bianchipr.com ) at +1-248-269-1122 or downloaded from http://www.newspress.co.uk .