French automakers are putting a big emphasis on fuel efficiency at the Paris auto show this year. Already considered among Europe’s best at making frugal, low-emission powertrains, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Renault aim to maintain their standing – and they are using money from the French government to do so.

Sister companies Peugeot and Citroen both will unveil concepts that use lightweight materials and a compressed-air hybrid drivetrain to deliver consumption figures as low as of 2 liters of gasoline per 100km (U.K. 141 mpg; U.S. 117 mpg). Renault, meanwhile, will show a lightweight new plug-in hybrid concept that offers consumption as low as 1 liter per 100km (U.K. 282 mpg; U.S. 235 mpg).