While we're on the subject of French hybrid concepts and wheel motors lets not forget the Peugeot Quark. This ATV fuel cell hybrid made an appearance at the 2004 Paris Motor Show.
The Peugeot Quark is a hybrid vehicle in that it mainly runs on electricity from its battery, but it has a second power source being a small 1.5 kw hydrogen fuel cell that runs off a 9 liter tank that stores the hydrogen at 10,000 psi.
Like most Hydrogen powered vehicles, the fuel cell is used primarily to recharge the 288 volt, 1.88 kWh Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery which in a series hybrid layout drives four TM4 wheel motors that provide 4WD and four wheel regenerative braking up to 0.3g . Driving range of the Quark is approximately 60 miles.
Each wheel motor has a continuous output of 2.5 kW and a peak of 7 kW. With 100 Nm each the Quark has a maximum torque of 400 Nm with a nominal power of 10 kW and a peak of 28 kW. Maximum speed is 110 km/h and 0-50 km/h takes 6.5 seconds which sounds mighty conservative with that much electric motor torque on tap from zero rpm. While the Quark looks like an off-road ATV it's curb weight is 450 kg (992 lb) meaning it is considerably larger.
