Peugeot Sport, a division of Stellantis in Auburn Hills, has signed a multi-year partnership with Marelli, a global automotive supplier with North American headquarters in Southfield, to develop an electric solution for the hybrid powertrain system of the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar that will compete in the World endurance Championship.
Marelli is providing the engineering and the supply of custom, high-performance electric motors and silicon carbide-based inverters that are part of the front axle electric traction system. The focus of the development is to maximize the efficiency and the reliability of the system, while adapting the motor and inverter technology to make effective use of the weight and volume allocated by the team.
The partnership marks a new chapter in the history of collaborations between Marelli and Peugeot, both in motorsports and road production fields, including the supply of electronics and telemetry for the Peugeot 905 and Peugeot 908 in endurance competitions. This new joint technological adventure aims again to bring on the evolution of powertrain and mobility toward smart electrification solutions.
“We are delighted to welcome Marelli onboard the Peugeot 9X8 project,” says Declare Olivier Janssonie, WEC program technical director of Peugeot Sport. “We have been collaborating together with Marelli for many years and our teams share the same passion and dedication to excellence. This project is a fantastic opportunity to combine our skills and to design, test and race together on the track a new innovative and performant electrical motor that will drive the 9X8 to success.”
As part of the partnership, Marelli will get the status of Peugeot Sport Official Partner, which will result in sponsorship, branding, and marketing opportunities. The Marelli logo will be present on the livery of the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar and be featured on the drivers’ fire suit, on teamwear, on official partner areas, and other communication tools.
“We are excited for this new collaboration with Peugeot Sport,” says Riccardo De Filippi, head of Marelli Motorsport. “We already have a long and glorious tradition of collaboration with them in the history of endurance racing, and we both share a great heritage and technical tradition in motorsport competitions.”
