Whenever some form of new technology presents itself, one can be sure that obstacles would befall those responsible. PSA Peugeot Citroen is now facing that conundrum as the company is actively scouting for potential collaborators in order to make the Hybrid Air technology come true.

Said technology was previewed this year on the Peugeot 208 Hybrid Air 2L and the Citroen C4 Cactus Airflow 2L concepts. The technology harnesses energy via a compressed air tank during braking which can then be used to power the wheels to aid acceleration.

Unfortunately, for the entire system to become a reality, a production run of 500,000 cars annually is required for the project to make "economic" sense, according to research and development head, Gilles Le Borgne, in an interview with Autocar.

peugeot 208 hybrid air 2l a

The problem is, despite the technology posing a significant improvement, new hydraulic pumps along with specialised gearboxes and 300-bar gas tanks are required as part of the entire system. "The system needs quite a lot of components not currently found in cars," adds Le Borgne.

However efficient the system may prove to be, response for potential collaborators for the project have been slow according to component supply group, Bosch, with whom PSA is working through. The fact that "Hybrid Air is ready for development," according to Le Borgne, makes it all the more frustrating.