Report: BMW to collaborate with Peugeot on hybrid system for FWD cars

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, BMW, PeugeotThe auto industry cross-pollination continues, with BMW and Peugeot having signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand their engineering collaboration to include a new hybrid system. Specifically, this will be a hybrid drive for front-wheel drive vehicles, marking a departure for both BMW and Peugeot.

BMW's interest isn't a complete surprise since the Bavarian firm has been making more and more noise about city cars and a small FWD offering for the U.S market. Although there have been practically no details on BMW's so-called UKL line, this could be the development that provides a hybrid option for the range. It's possible that Mini might get this as well, but with a gaggle of tiny hybrids coming, like the expected Yaris-sized hybrid joining the Prius line, it's not a stretch to imagine BMW won't want to spread this around.

The novel thing for Peugeot is also the turned wheels, but in a different way: their hybrid cars have used the motors to turn the rear wheels, while the fronts were pushed by the ICE. It remains to be seen where Peugeot will apply a dedicated FWD hybrid vehicle.

[Source: BMW]Continue reading Report: BMW to collaborate with Peugeot on hybrid system for FWD carsReport: BMW to collaborate with Peugeot on hybrid system for FWD cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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