2004 Peugeot Quark Concept

TM4 has developed and produced the QÚARK drivetrain system for the latest automotive technology demonstrator from Peugeot. The QÚARK will be on display starting on September 23, 2004, at the Peugeot stand of the Paris Auto Show. A model will be entered in the Bibendum Challenge organized by Michelin and to be held in Shanghai from October 10 to 14, 2004.

The QÚARK is equipped with a nickel-metal-hydride battery and a fuel cell, which powers not one but four electric motors, one in each of the wheels. With these four motors, the QÚARK has four-wheel drive at all times. These direct-drive motors are operated independently from each other by an electronic module, managing the wheel torque based on the way the driver steers, accelerates and brakes.

This electronic module, connected to the four motors, replaces the various mechanical differentials on a standard vehicle with more precision and better control. In regenerative braking, the electronic module makes it possible to recover the alternating current generated, transform it into direct current and return it to the battery. This module will also eventually allow advanced functions like ABS, ESP and steering assistance.

TM4 motors utilize permanent-magnet technology, which helps reduce energy consumption and the size and weight of the motors.

In 1994, TM4 developed a four-wheel-drive motor system. An electronic control module for the four motors was developed at that time, which was also capable of handling and converting the electrical current between the battery and the direct-drive motors. The system sold to Peugeot is based in part on the original model.

Peugeot ordered the system at the end of 2003 and it was installed on the vehicle seven months later, on July 26, 2004, in the workshops of the Automobile Research and Innovation Department of the PSA Group. QÚARK is a light-weight urban vehicle, weighing 425 kg and capable of transporting one or two passengers at speeds up to 110 km/h.

To propel the vehicle, each motor provides a maximum torque of 100 Nm, a maximum output power of 7 kW and a continuous output power of 2.5 kW. With all four motors together, the vehicle has an available torque of 400 Nm, a maximum output power of 28 kW and a continuous output power of 10 kW.

TM4 designs and markets systems based on electrodynamics, conversion and power control components that meet the specific requirements of its clients. It offers its systems worldwide for electric drivetrain and distributed electric power generation applications. The partners and clients of TM4 Transport are manufacturers and integrators of electric or hybrid electric vehicles, for general or specialized applications seeking light, compact, high- performance drivetrain units and on-board generators.

Source - PRNewswire