Citroen have announced their intention to conduct a study into a new-generation environmentally-friendly vehicle, namely one based on the C-Cactus concept car of last year. Mimicing the qualities of its botanical namesake, its intelligent design focuses primarily on low fuel consumption, otherwise giving premise to the essential - low running costs, a spacious but attractive cabin and a quirky style.
By driving down the cost of production with the removal of non-essential components and providing recyclable panels, the C-Cactus is a more responsible vehicle for both market conditions and the environment.
The project aims to ascertain whether such a vehicle, be it in C-Cactus guise or otherwise, is ready for the market and with what drivetrain any environmentally-friendly vehicle should offer. Powerplant options being considered include the running of a lone 1.0-litre petrol engine emitting less than 100g/km of CO2, the tandem working of a diesel and electric motor or a fully-electric model.
The HYmotion2 diesel-electric hybrid option would return fuel efficiencies of over 100 mpg and emissions of just 78g/km of CO2, while a 100% electric version, much like the concept model on the stand in Paris, would offer zero emissions, a 70mph top speed and a range of up to 100 miles.
