Peugeot Fractal urban-coupe concept: Peugeot sets out its stall for an electric future

The futuristic Fractal urban-coupe concept is more than just a flight of fancy

Peugeot will display a new electric concept vehicle at this month’s Frankfurt show. And in doing so the French company will send out a clear signal that it’s currently developing a new electric vehicle for future production.

That’s evident as the Fractal show car features a digitally generated ‘engine noise’ – something which all electric vehicles sold in the EU will have to have by 2019.

The sound signature acts as an alert to other road users that an otherwise-silent vehicle is nearby. Peugeot is one of several manufacturers which have been working towards this – and its appearance suggests that the Fractal does indeed point the way towards a showroom model.

In other ways, it’s a typically experimental project car – 80% of whose interior is formed from 3D-printed components.

It’s more than just a flight of fancy inside, though. The Fractal features the latest version of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit interior treatment, within a four-seat cabin designed around a 12.3” digitial dash.

80% of its interior is formed from 3D-printed components.

There’s also a 7.7” head-up unit, as well as further touch-screens in the floor console and steering wheel.

As for the electrics powering the car, there’s a 168bhp motor at each axle. So that’s 335bhp in total, giving the 1000kg Fractal a 6.8-second 0-62 time – and Peugeot claims a range of up to 280 miles on one full charge of its lithium-ion batteries.

To help get the most from the batteries, the car crouches down during motorway cruising – dropping its normal 11cm ride height to just 7cm.

It won’t be as aerodynamic with the roof removed, but this ‘urban coupe,’ to use Peugeot’s own description, offers that option too.

At present, Peugeot’s only player in the electric market is the iON city car. The Fractal is a clear sign that the company has no intention of keeping things that way.