This past 18 September, during the 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans, Peugeot Sport shared the first sketches of its Hypercar destined for the FIA World Endurance Championship, and recently unveiled the technical features of the Hypercar's powertrain.

The French marque's teams have called upon their experience and know-how in hybridization and high caliber competition to develop a hybrid powertrain (Peugeot HYBRID4 500KW) in compliance with FIA WEC regulations.

Here are the main elements of the Peugeot Sport Le Mans Hypercar:

• Hybrid technology combining a 500 kW (680 hp) 2.6-liter twin-turbo V6 engine at the rear and a 200 kW electric motor/generator at the front
• High power density battery, co-developed by Peugeot Sport, Total and its subsidiary Saft
• 4-wheel drive and 7-speed sequential gearbox
• Intelligent powertrain and energy flow management system, an essential key to performance, overseen by François Coudrain, Powertrain Director of the Peugeot Sport FIA WEC program

Peugeot Sport has drawn upon its experience in endurance racing (the V12 and V8 of the 908) and that of PSA Motorsport in the WRC to develop a new 2.6-liter twin-turbo V6 unit open at 90°. The engine will be positioned behind the driver and will develop a maximum power standardized at 500 kW (680 hp) for a weight of 165 kg. Powertrain Director of the Peugeot Sport FIA WEC program​ François Coudrain: "The architecture of the Peugeot HYBRID4 500KW powertrain was determined by extensive specifications governed by the new championship regulations. We initially planned to design an engine with a single turbo, but that did not allow us to achieve our goal, which was to lower the engine's center of gravity. A twin-turbo V6 is the best compromise between technology, weight, architecture, reliability and performance."

Peugeot Sport will continue through the necessary development stages (tests and simulator runs during the first half of 2021) before hitting the track near the end of 2021.