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Is the Quark a concept car
or the next generation ATV?
Take a look at the video on the
Quark website and then decide.
(click on Tous les concept
cars in the right navigational pane, click on 2004
Quark in the SELECTIONNEZ UN MODELE pane, then click
on the et plus encore to take you to the Quark main
website. You will find the video there.)
Peugeot Quark Concept
By: Brian Goley
Photos courtesy of PEUGEOT
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The Quark would be
one wild ride.
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Whatever you what to call it, it is definitely
the craziest ATV…err…car…err...lets just call it
a "Wish I had one of those!" ...we have seen in
a while.
The Quark is a “Made for the Pavement” concept
ATV from French car maker Peugeot. The ATV’s name
has an interesting ring to it, but we hope the automaker
selected the name based on the first definition
we found. If it’s related to the latter, we suspect
the engineers were a little hungry or some one within
Peugeot really loves cheese.
quark1 (kwôrk, kwärk)
n. Any of a group of six elementary particles having
electric charges of a magnitude one-third or two-thirds
that of the electron, regarded as constituents of
all hadrons.
quark2 (kwôrk, kwärk)
n. A soft creamy acid-cured cheese of central Europe
made from whole milk.
Whatever the name’s definition, we think this
is one wild looking car...ATV... let's not start
that again. Peugeot has developed a crossover between
the styling of an off-road ATV with the suspension
system, brakes, and driveline of a sports car.
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The Quark Concept
is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and
four separate wheel-mounted electric
motors.
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The Quark is powered by advanced hydrogen fuel-cell
technology. The advantages of the fuel cell are
many. Firstly, this technology helps to reduce emissions
of CO2 and combats the greenhouse effect caused
by regular gas powered machines. In addition, thanks
to the noiseless operation of fuel cell vehicles
and reduced local emissions, the fuel cell helps
to improve the quality of life in cities.
It is in inter-urban and/or urban areas that
the main qualities of the Quark’s fuel cell - noiseless
operation and absence of pollution at the point
of use - are most relevant. In addition, when used
in and around town, i.e. in driving conditions that
involve frequent deceleration phases, it is possible
to use the vehicle's electric traction motors for
braking, thereby recovering energy expended during
deceleration at no cost and reducing the vehicle's
overall fuel consumption.
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The quad-engine, hydrogen-fuelled
Quark has a range that is between 62
and 81 miles.
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The Quark operates in a range-extending mode.
The fuel cell supplements electrical energy supplied
by a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery consisting
of 40 individual cells, each with a voltage of 7.2
volts. The battery can therefore provide a nominal
overall voltage of 288 Volts. In parallel, Peugeot
has also developed new solutions to simplify the
fuel cell and reduce its size to help integration
into more compact vehicles. Firstly, the fuel cell
of the Quark is not water-cooled, but air-cooled.
This avoids the need for a bulky water-cooling system
and frees up space accordingly for other equipment
or for a more compact traction system. Also, the
absence of a water-cooling system removes one of
the major constraints of the fuel cell: the incompatibility
between pure water/negative ambient temperatures.
Today, when it freezes, water causes irreversible
damage to the cell, since an anti-freeze suitable
for a fuel cell has yet to be developed.
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A true urban transportation
for two that will turn heads.
Each of the Quark's
four wheels is driven by an individual
electric motor.
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The Quark was designed as an inner-city alternative
to a car therefore its range varies between 62 to
81 miles depending on driving style. The Quark uses
a 9-litre hydrogen tank at a pressure of 700 bars.
In addition, the Quark has a simple and rapid method
of refilling the vehicle with hydrogen, with a plug
& drive system that makes it easy to replace an
empty bottle with a full one.
The Quark’s power train is innovative. Electrical
power supplied by the batteries and the fuel cell
is transmitted, not to a central motor, but to four
individual electric motors located in each of the
vehicle's wheels. The benefit of electric power
isn't in horsepower, with each wheel-mounted unit
only peaking at 10 with continuous output only 3.4,
for a peak total of 40 hp. Torque is what really
moves the Quark, its engines featuring a constant
surge of 74 lb-ft with a peak of 295 lb-ft, and
that from zero to redline. This allows it to jump
to 31 mph from a standstill in 6.5 seconds, before
topping out at 68 mph.
Due to the four individual motors, the vehicle
has permanent four-wheel drive or All Wheel Drive
(AWD). An electronic control module controls the
motors independently. It supplies torque in accordance
with the demands requested by the driver. This module,
combined with all four individual motors, serves
the purpose of the differentials on a traditional
vehicle. In addition to regenerative braking, the
system can accommodate advanced functions such as
ABS, ESP, and cornering assistance to reduce the
turning circle radius by provoking wheel slip.
The braking system combines regenerative electric
braking and hydraulically controlled mechanical
braking acting on discs. The braking control regulates
both braking modes so that electric braking takes
priority over hydraulic braking which is beneficial
to the energy balance.
Yes, the Quark is a true Two-person two-seater.
In terms of size, at 93.7 in. long the Quark is
pretty short for a sports car, but definitely larger
than the biggest manufactured utility ATV. Did you
notice the size of the wheels? This thing has gargantuan
17-inch alloy wheels.
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Large 17-inch wheels,
unusual for an ATV-styled vehicle, frame
massive disc brakes held in place by an
independent suspension with road-tuned springs
and dampers.
The Quark is only a concept
for now.
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The Quark is driven much the same
way you would drive a scooter or motorcycle, with
controls for steering, braking and throttle actuated
via handlebars, but unlike the true ATVs, steering
is power-assisted.
The body and appearance of the Quark concept
has been structured around a central I-Beam chassis
with a car-like double-wishbone suspension system
mounted front and rear. Ground clearance is minimal,
and off-roading capabilities are restricted by road-biased
springs and dampers with little travel. Unlike a
true all terrain vehicle, the Quark has no intentions
of taking its rider(s) off-road and deep into the
woods. It does, however, have a load-carrying capacity
of 309 lb on top of its two person occupancy.
The Quark has sports car styling with cat's eyes
headlamps equipped with light emitting diodes (LEDs)
that stretch back over the hood. A massive assertive
front grille all contribute to an unmistakable identity.
The rear lights are LEDs as well. The front bodywork
serves as a windshield to protect the passengers.
At the front and at the rear, protective panels
similar to the lower front panel supports the number
plates, while at the rear, the hydrogen tank is
painted red to symbolize its contents. The bucket
seat has a non-slip covering to ensure good lateral
support for passengers.
The Quark doesn’t have an ignition key. To use
the Quark, the driver relies on a removable interactive
interface, which serves the same purpose as an ignition
key and is used in conjunction with an instrument
panel. Positioned in its housing, it provides information
concerning the traction system and the fuel cell,
vehicle speed, satellite navigation, etc… Protected
by a small transparent and waterproof cover, it
allows the vehicle to be started when in place and
immobilizes it after removal by the driver, as in
the case of an ignition key.
The Quark was designed with lightweight body
components such as aluminum and carbon fiber, but
it still weights in at 937 lbs.
What's most important and different is the Quark's
eco-friendly nature. We wonder if any
hardcore environmentalists would be willing to share
the same trails or public roads with this relatively
quiet no pollution machine.
As with any concepts, it is unlikely that it
will ever be produced and sold to the public. We
here at the Source personally would like to think
it will become a reality as this thing is just plain
cool.
Specifications:
- Body Type: ATV-style convertible
- Layout: quad-electric motor, AWD
- Engine: 40 hp, 74 lb-ft torque total
output electric motors
- Brakes: disc/disc, ABS, EBD
- Seating Capacity: 2
- Payload: 140 kg (309 lbs)
- Range: 100-130 km (62-81 miles)
- Curb Weight: 425 kg (937 lbs)
Contact Info:
Web site:
http://www.peugeot.com/default_design_cc.htm
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