Self-supporting body, front drive, hydropneumatic suspension, are just some of the technological solutions that Citroën was the first to make available to the public. Within the list of these technologies, diesel engines occupy a prominent place. In 1933, Citroën was the first to install a Diesel engine in a passenger car (Citroën Rosalie 11UD), opening a new chapter in the history of the car. Since the 1933 Rosalie 11UD, for nearly 80 years the French have invested heavily in diesel engine technology.
Today Citroën in Diesel technology has the HDi (High-pressure Direct injection) engines, the e-HDi micro-hybrid system, but also the first hybrid system (Full Hybrid) produced with a diesel engine in the world, the Hybrid4.
e-HDi
Based on the efficient Euro 5 HDi engines, which work together in every case with the FAP micro-particulate filter, the e-HDi micro-hybrid system takes Diesel engines into a new era. It is a pioneering system for which more than 30 patents were granted, 300 million were invested. euros and more than 500 PSA engineers and technicians worked.
Some of the elements that stand out in the e-HDi are:
• 2nd generation Stop & Start with a reversible starter-dynamo system that ensures immediate, silent and perfectly smooth stopping – starting the engine operation in just 400 km/h. per second (30% faster than traditional systems).
• Energy recovery during deceleration.
• e-Booster system that includes a super-condenser which – among others – allows the operation of all auxiliary comfort and safety systems (e.g. air conditioning system, lighting fixtures, wipers, etc.) even during engine shutdown.
• Reduction of fuel consumption up to 15% in the urban cycle compared to conventional diesel engines.
Hybrid4
For the first time in a production model, Citroën has combined the power of a diesel engine with the efficiency of an electric motor, creating the Hybrid4 (Full Hybrid) system. It is a parallel system with the thermal engine (HDi diesel engine) driving the front wheels, while an electric motor drives the rear. Hybrid4, for which PSA has secured more than 300 patents, has advantages such as:
• Low fuel consumption and pollution (200 hp and 99g/100km CO2 in the case of the Citroën DS5). The consumption reduction reaches 30%-35% compared to corresponding engines in urban driving conditions and exceeds 15% in mixed conditions.
• Option to drive on all 4 wheels
• Possibility of driving exclusively with the electric motor which entails zero emissions (ZEV mode)
• All the advantages of vehicles equipped with the e-HDi system (energy recovery, 2nd generation stop & start, etc.).
