At the unveiling of the all-new Peugeot 508 SW, the French carmaker revealed that a plug-in hybrid petrol (PHEV) variant will join the product line up (both 508 sedan and SW). Traditionally, PHEV’s high voltage battery pack that would one way or another sacrifice interior space but according to a report by AutoCar UK, it seems that Peugeot has found a way to work around it.
The 508’s EMP2 platform was designed to offer an electrified powertrain from the start. This allowed engineers and designers to come up with a “tight packaging” that does not compromise on its 487 litre boot space or cabin room to accommodate the batteries, unlike the BMW 530e and Mercedes-Benz E 350e.
According to the report, the 508 PHEV will have its high voltage battery packs placed beneath the boot floor which means it will not have the luxury of a spare wheel. Peugeot is not the first one to come up with design solutions for its PHEVs, Volvo’s SPA platform has its battery pack sandwiched within the centre of the vehicle, resulting in not only a more compact design but also lower centre of gravity.
Project design lead for the 508, Pierre Paul Mattei said: “Our team of designers spent a year and a half, which is longer than usual, with engineers to access the best technology and knowledge for this car’s platform.”
“We have been able to break the conventions for design proportions while keeping those performances (such as boot space) unaffected in the architecture,” Mattei added.
The Peugeot 508 PHEV is expected to debut in the second-half 2019 and is touted to have an all-electric driving range of 50 km.
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Peugeot 508 Sedan First Edition
Peugeot 508 Sedan
Peugeot 508 SW
